Food and travel expenses push up third-level costs

Food, travel, and education expenses are pushing up the cost of going to college, an Irish League of Credit Unions survey has found.

It also shows that students are spending far less than they did in 2011 on their social lives and clothing, while rents have gone up slightly.

Although it is not explicitly clear, financial concerns may be a factor behind the significant fall in numbers of students living away from home during the college year.