Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has been urged not to consider another increase in the student registration fee.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) said a further increase in the cost of the student registration fee would mean that many thousands of students would be unable to attend third-level education.
The move comes after Mr Quinn voiced his opposition to a student loan system in which graduates would repay the State for the cost of their education.
The Government is now expected to raise the cost of the student registration fee from €2,000 in 2012, despite the fact that it is already being increasing by €500 this year.
Mr Quinn has also refused to rule out the return of third-level fees to plug the funding crisis in the higher education sector.
At present, the €9 billion education budget accounts for 16 per cent of Government spending.
Earlier this year, the Hunt report said annual funding for higher education must increase by €500 million a year, from €1.3 billion to €1.8 billion by 2020 if academic quality and the full range of student services were to be maintained.
The report also called for the introduction of student fees and loans in order to allow hard-pressed colleges deal with record levels of student demand.
During the election campaign, Mr Quinn made a commitment to reverse the increase in the student registration fee and also signed a USI pledge against the return of third-level fees. However, he has since rowed back on this.
USI said the current cost of going to college per annum is almost €7,700 for living costs, plus €2,000 for student fees and that any increase would prove too much for many parents.
The union was particularly scathing about the timing of the announcement, saying it would put unnecessary stress on the 55,000 Leaving Cert students awaiting exam results tomorrow.
"It is cynical that this statement on the funding of Higher Education was announced on the day before the release of the Leaving Cert results, when thousands of parents are worried about whether their children are going to get into college. This statement will lead to many sleepless nights by potential students and their parents," said USI president Gary Redmond.
Mr Redmond claimed that young people had turned out in unprecedented numbers to vote in the recent general election with many of them influenced by the Labour Party's commitment not to increase third-level fees in any form.
"Any deviation from this stance by the Government equates to a gross misleading of young people and their families by the Labour party. The Government should work to encourage people to participate in higher education rather than close the door on them by increasing college fees," he added.
