THE GOVERNMENT'S higher education grant scheme does not pay attention to the real costs incurred by those in third-level education, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has said.
USI president Shane Kelly estimates the college year costs students, on average, about €7,000 when essentials such as rent, food costs, transport and college supplies are accounted for.
This meant that for some 57,000 students who qualified for and depended on grant aid to assist their further education, Mr Kelly added, the maximum they could receive fell well short of the actual cost of living away from home.
He said the standard full rate of €3,420 was received by only about 10 per cent of students and that the majority received the 50 per cent assistance of €1,710 or less, which covered less than a quarter of the estimated cost of the college year.
The average grant figure is more than halved for students from within 24km of their college, meaning many of these students will receive only €685 toward the cost of their education.
However, for the small number of students, some 10 per cent, in the lowest family income band of €20,000 who receive a special rate of €6,690, the fall-off is not so steep.
Cathal Reilly, president of Trinity College Dublin Students Union, said the figures did not add up for students on grants in TCD and the grant freeze was "infuriating" considering the continuing rise of living costs in Dublin.
According to Mr Reilly, the estimated cost of living for a student in Dublin is between €7,500 and €12,000 a year depending on location and lifestyle.
He said accommodation was the biggest expense, ranging from €3,000 to €5,150 a year, while food and household expenses cost between €3,000 and €5,150.
"With the maximum full maintenance grant coming in at a measly €6,690, this can put families from poorer backgrounds into serious financial difficulty," he said.
"This is a major worry to us as student leaders and something that we will endeavour to fight."
Kate Flanagan, a TCD student from Co Clare, said the grant was not enough to survive on and many students were forced to have a part-time job to get by when they were in college. "It's not enough and never has been.".
Ms Flanagan said her weekly allowance was some €100 and, although her parents paid her rent, her travel costs and bills left her with only €40 for food and college essentials like stationery.
"I don't have much of a disposable income during college term, hence the need for most students to keep on a part-time job . . . which, as we all know, can get quite overwhelming as the exam season looms," she said.