Students from rural areas more dependant on State for fees and financial support

Regional differences in how many college students qualify for grants highlight the need to widen the third-level funding debate, the president of Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said.

Higher Education Authority (HEA) figures reveal that close to two thirds of first-year students from many border and other rural counties depend on the State to pay their fees and for financial support.

However, in Dublin, Cork, and commuter belt counties Meath, Wicklow, and Kildare the proportion is less than the average 46% across all counties.