THE seven universities are coming under intense pressure to create more college places as the first round of offers from the Central Applications Office (CAO) is sent out today.
The colleges plan to provide about 100 additional places this autumn. However, with this week's CAO offers expected to show continuing high points requirements for many courses, both the Minister for Education and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) are pressing for greater expansion.
Advisers to the Minister last week claimed an additional 1,500 places would be created this year. More modestly, the HEA is urging the colleges to match last year's growth of about 300-400 places.
The HEA chairman, Mr Noel Lindsay, said he expected the colleges to show "some room for manoeuvre" within the £300 million annual budget they received from the State. "There is provision for some growth in the system," he said.
The colleges themselves are free to decide how many students to take. University heads, who say they have not been adequately compensated for growth in previous years, are refusing to increase enrolments significantly unless extra resources are provided.
However, the colleges are expected to come under intense pressure from the HEA and the Department of Education over the coming week to increase enrolments in later rounds of CAO offers.
Mr Lindsay said there was some "jockeying" between the various parties in respect of funding. "However, I have no doubt we will come to an amicable solution.
The RTCs, which greatly increased their intake last year, have said they have no room to accommodate additional students. A spokesman said he expected enrolment in the 11 RTCs to be about the same as last year.
More than 40,000 students are expected to receive an offer from the Central Applications Office (CAO) for a place on a degree, diploma or certificate course tomorrow. The number of applicants to the CAO is down almost 4,000 on last year.
The complexity and size of the admissions systems means the exact number of places cannot be determined at this stage. College admissions officers met at the CAO offices in Galway on Friday to determine the minimum points levels at which offers of places will be made. The final enrolment figures will depend on the rate of acceptance of these offers by students.
Last year there were about 30,700 places at third level. This year projected enrolments are expected to slightly exceed 31,000.
The first round CAO offers will arrive in students' homes tomorrow. The points requirements for all courses will be published in Tile Irish Times on Wednesday.
