60,000 students hit by grants freeze

UP to 60,000 students have been left counting the cost after their grants were frozen for a second year in a row despite an 11% rise in third-level education costs in the same period.

In a move that will put many hard-pressed students and their families under more pressure, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has announced rates of between €345 and €6,690.

However, Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show third-level costs have increased by 5% in the last year and by 10.9% in the two years to last month, despite a drop in the cost of living in the same period.