The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has defended his decision to increase by almost 70 per cent - from €396 to €670 - the charge levied by third-level colleges to help defray the costs of registration, examinations and student services.
The Union of Students in Ireland said that the move signalled the return of "fees by the back-door".
Defending the decision, the Minister said that 37 per cent of university students and 47 per cent of students in institutes of technology would not be liable for the charge as they are eligible for means-tested support through local authorities and the VECs.
The Minister was anxious to place the increased charge in the context of a range of increases in student supports also announced yesterday.
These include:
• An increase of 5 per cent in the maintenance grant to give a maximum grant of €2,510 in the 2002/03 academic year.
• An increase of 7 per cent in the income thresholds for grant eligibility.
• An increase of 15 per cent in the allowance by which the income thresholds may be increased for each dependant where two or more children are in further or higher education.
Mr Dempsey has also broadened the special rates of maintenance grant for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, introduced in July 2001. The annual income threshold for the special rates of maintenance grant, more commonly known as the "top-up grant", has been increased by 32 per cent.
The grant has also been increased to €4,000 for students residing more than 15 miles from college and to €1,600 for students resident within 15 miles of college. This is equivalent to a "top-up" of €1,490 and €596, respectively, for students on the ordinary maintenance grant.
In addition, a number of additional social welfare payments have been added as eligible payments. As a result of these improvements, it is expected that the number of students qualifying for the "top-up" grant in 2002/03 will double to 7,000.
Third-level tuition fees for the coming academic year will increase by six per cent, a cost which will be borne by the Exchequer under the free fees scheme.