Jobless post-grad students face fee of €500

DOLE recipients who take part in the Government’s postgraduate scheme for the unemployed could be asked to pay an annual €500 fee to universities if they choose to take up courses in September.

University post-grad places will be made available to 1,000 people on the jobseekers’ allowance under what the Government is describing as its “labour market activation initiative”.

The places will be available from September in seven universities and 13 institutes of technology. The announcement, to be made today, follows the allocation last week of 1,500 part-time undergraduate courses for the unemployed.