Surge in college applications could see many students miss out on courses

A report in 2018 projected a growth of 25% in the demand for third-level places by 2029. File Picture.

The surge in college applications this year means that "far too many" students may not get their desired course, and those that do face overstretched teaching resources, lecturers have warned.

New data shows that applications surged by 9%, to 84,000, this year,  said Frank Jones, the incoming general secretary of the Irish Federation of University Teachers (IFUT).