More than 6,000 students will lose up to €1,510 each in grant aid next year after cuts to the income limits.

It is thought that Education Minister Ruairi Quinn may propose the introduction of a State-backed student loan scheme or a graduate tax when he outlines his vision for higher education reform this morning.

The Minister for Social Protection has said it is her understanding that of the 65,000 students who applied for grants online, around 50,000 applications had to be queried because of incomplete data.

Additional staff have had to be brought in as fewer than 700 students have been paid their grants so far by the new agency which Education Minster Ruairi Quinn had said would speed up the application process.

Under-siege residents living near two of Ireland’s largest third-level colleges have called for a levy to be imposed on students to cover the costs of on-street security.

The linking of the household charge to third-level grants raises important questions about what we expect from our local authorities and how they should be funded, writes Aodh Quinlivan

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has warned any councils that asking grant applicants about their parents’ household charge status could be illegal.

Ireland offers its young people greater equality in getting a university education than almost any other developed country — and this has been paying off, according to a study on education across the OECD.

Students preparing for college have been urged to tread carefully in selecting their accommodation and in their financial dealings.

Students are not spoilt for choice in the property rental market this autumn because of a tightening of available accommodation, it has emerged.

Thousands of students struggling with loans or overdrafts will be excluded from a Government- backed scheme to help postgraduates meet course costs, the Union of Students in Ireland has claimed.

The Union of Students in Ireland is urging the Government to do more to assist graduates in gaining employment.

Student loan schemes organised at a number of colleges could encourage the Government to increase fees, students’ representatives have warned.

More than 19,000 student grant applications have been made through an online system since it opened almost a month ago.

Donegal native John Logue has been elected as new president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).

The Union of Students of Ireland has said that "all hell will break loose" if Education Minster Ruairi Quinn re-introduces third-level fees.

THE Labour Party could face a political backlash as Education Minister Ruairi Quinn refuses to rule out a return to tuition fees despite pre-election promises to oppose them.