STUDYING ABROAD - the UK option: With over 55,000 courses on offer, study in the UK should be considered, says John Downes
Some 7,200 Irish students applied for places on courses in British and Northern Irish universities this year. Many students use this option to gain places on courses which are oversubscribed here. Now that the hustle and bustle of exam time is over, many students in your situation find that it is necessary to focus on what it is they really want to do with the rest of their lives.
This may include increasing your independence by enrolling on a college course away from home, getting a place of your own - and even testing your culinary skills. Some of you may not have got the points you required for the course of your choice here in Ireland.
But although it may not seem like it now, you still have a number of options open to you - especially if you consider studying in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Every year the sheer depth and breadth of the 55,000 courses on offer through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) - the British equivalent of the CAO system here - serves as a real inducement to Irish students to consider studying there.
Ranging from nursing, radiography and medicine to more specialised courses such as Caribbean studies and footwear design, it is true that one real strength of the UK third-level system is the sheer variety which it offers.
Last year, 7,180 Irish students applied for courses through UCAS, with roughly half going on to accept their places at university.
So what are the considerations which you should bear in mind when studying in the UK?
Well, experts say that anybody who finds themselves seriously investigating this option should first of all ask themselves the usual questions: which subject do they wish to study, and at which college or university?
The location of the university in question is also important - are there good transport links back to Ireland, and how important are these if so?
And would you be best suited to a city or campus-based university?
Tuition fees
One significant drawback to the UK system is that the fees are not always free. This is something which it is particularly worthwhile for parents to take time to consider, in view of the current euro-sterling exchange rate. Students starting courses this autumn in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will pay tution fees of up to £1,175 (and that's about €1,690). In Scotland, fees are free, but students are asked to pay a contribution of around €2,000 when they begin working.
This is all about to change from next year, however. Students enrolling at colleges and universities in England from next year, in 2006/2007, will not have to pay fees on entry - but will have to pay "top-up" fees at a later date. These will be set at a maximum of £3,000 (roughly €4,500)a year - although some colleges have already made it clear that they intend to charge lower fees - and will operate through a system of deferred payment, or student loan, once graduates are employed and earning over £15,000 (about €22,500)a year.
A similar system will be introduced in Northern Ireland in the 2006/07 academic year, but the details have yet to be confirmed.
However, the situation will not change in Scotland, while students attending a Welsh university will continue to pay the current flat-rate tuition fee of £1,200 (about €1,800, roughly).
Cost of living
Putting an exact figure on the cost of living in the UK can be difficult. The UK Council for International Education (UKCOSA) points out that it varies according to where you decide to study - London and other big cities will clearly be more expensive than other areas.
The British Council, which also produces a useful booklet on the issue (available on their website) agrees. It estimates that apart from the cost of course fees (where applicable) you should allow for around £730 (€1,049) a month if living in London, and £585 (€841)a month if living elsewhere. However, the figures they are based on 2002 prices, and will have increased in the intervening period.
Clearing
If you have already applied for a course through the UCAS system last January, you should have received a conditional offer. But even if this is not the case, you can still apply for thousands of vacant places listed for courses all over the UK through a system known as "clearing."
This year the clearing service starts on August 18th. UCAS lists all vacancies on its website, www.ucas.co.uk
During the summer, UCAS automatically sends out a Clearing Entry Form (CEF) and a clearing instructions booklet to applicants from outsider the UK as they become eligible for clearing. As a result, and before contacting universities and colleges about courses, students should make sure they have their CEF with them. This is because once an institution is happy that a student meets their requirements, they will usually ask them to send forward their CEF.
But regardless of whether you have made an application through UCAS already, you can still apply for a course listed as clearing. If you see a course which interests you, you should get in touch with the relevant college, speak to the admissions tutor, and immediately express an interest, as popular vacancies can be snapped up. You can do the form-filling at a later date.
As we have seen, there are a number of key considerations to bear in mind when thinking about studying in the UK. Some of them - such as the cost - could be a major influence on any decision you make on whether or not to do so.
But despite what you might think as you look at your Leaving Certificate results today, you have many many options still open to you as you prepare for your future. And that's something worth remembering, amid all the fuss.