STUDENTS entering third level education this autumn will have to pay up to £180 in service charges, in spite of the introduction of "free" third level education this year.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) says the increase in the student service charge in several colleges means that fees are being "reintroduced through the back door".
"In the present economic climate, colleges are hungry for cash, so students are being made to pay," the USI president Mr Colman Byrne, said.
In UCC and the University of Limerick students will pay a service charge of £180 each comprising the standard charge of £150 plus a new levy. In UCC, the £30 levy is for a new sports centre in UL, the money is intended for a students centre.
Students in UCD, which started the practice of special levies, will continue to pay £160 this includes a £10 contribution to the cost of a students' centre. For all other colleges in the Central Applications Office (CAO) system, a £150 charge will apply.
Most students applying to the universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology will have to have these amounts to secure a college place through the CAO/CAS system. This means they will be paying more than the £100 deposit which was demanded when less were still being charged.
However, the RTCs, in an effort to attract as many students gas possible, are charging only £5 to secure a place. A drop in the number of students taking the Leaving Cert this year is expected to lead to reduced demand for RTC courses.
Prospective students who hold a medical card or are on social welfare also qualify for the reduced payment of £5 to secure a place. This provision also applies to young people who have been told by the local authorities or VECs that they are eligible for a grant.
Applicants who make the reduced payment can lose their places if it is found subsequently that their circumstances did not warrant paying the reduced amount.
The £150 charge was the subject of a major dispute between students' unions and some colleges last year. USI says the money is students' money, and should be allocated to student services. However, each college uses varying proportions of the sum to pay the costs of registration and exams.
