The college that went ahead with a degree in audiology in 2012 without proper funding or approval has been told to set aside €100,000 of its budget for student services.

The High Court is hearing a legal challenge taken by two students from Athlone Institute of Technology over the cancellation of their course.

The British Academy of Audiology has said it ended its interaction with Athlone Institute of Technology last year on the college’s audiology degree that was ended after a year last week.

Athlone Institute of Technology was told a year ago not to go ahead with the country’s first audiology degree, which was cancelled this week, leaving 21 students with an uncertain future.