CAO Choices 2026: Do your homework on college costs

Financial planning is vital and ensuring you have supports in place hold the key to getting life in college off to a good start

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With the cost of attending college ever increasing and the availability of accommodation decreasing, guidance counsellors are seeing more students applying to colleges closer to home in an effort to access third level education.

Incoming president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors, Gerry Reilly says he sees more students from his school in Monaghan applying to ATU, SETU and TUS, as well as applying to study in Northern Ireland because first years in the North are guaranteed accommodation.