More college places going to non-Leaving Certificate students

THE proportion of college places taken by non-Leaving Certificate students has risen but school leavers still filled more than two-thirds of all college vacancies this year, according to official figures.

Statistics from the Central Applications Office (CAO), which helped more than 40 colleges fill 42,117 places on their courses this year, show that 4,552 — or almost one in nine — places were taken by mature students, who are categorised as applicants aged 23 or over.

They represent 10.8% of all places accepted this year — up slightly from 10.5% of acceptances in 2007.