International students ‘get little for massive fees’

INTERNATIONAL students are paying massive fees of up to €15,000 a year to third level institutions but getting very little in return, The Union of Students of Ireland (USI) said yesterday.

The union said the students were being treated identically to their Irish counterparts, with no account taken of their special needs.

“We’re calling on the colleges to properly address the needs of international students,” said president Ben Archibald.

He said that a systematic approach had to be put in place which would include mentoring for students, support services and even halal meat for the large numbers of Muslim Malaysian students.

USI is to debate a motion on the issue at its annual conference in Ennis this weekend. More than 240 delegates are attending.

According to the Higher Education Authority, there were students from more than 150 countries in Irish colleges in 2002, including 662 Malaysians, 225 Chinese and 99 Indians.

Mr Archibald said that students studying medicine were paying up to €15,000 each year in fees.

“They’re paying massive fees so this is a serious issue,” he said.

He said there would also be motions about the problem of mental illness in college.

“There is a level of serious depression and serious stress among young people and the suicide rate has skyrocketed. We want to get Government to identify this as a serious problem,” Mr Archibald added.