Britain’s £9k fee to put pressure on Irish colleges

RISING college fees in Britain look likely to put more pressure on for third-level places here as there has been a drop of almost 20% in Irish students applying to study across the Irish Sea.

However, the raising of the upper limit in the tuition fees that universities in England, Wales and the North can charge to £9,000 (almost €10,900) from this year could also have a double impact, as colleges here could also see applications from Britain rising.

The University and College Admissions Service (UCAS), Britain’s equivalent of the CAO, has reported a 19% drop in the number of students from the Republic seeking entry in 2012.