So, fees for third-level education are being reintroduced in Britain and Northern Ireland and there are no fees here. Wrong.
Certainly, fees are being introduced in British and Northern Irish colleges. But it is on a sliding scale up to a maximum of £1,000 sterling per annum and there is help available up to a maximum taxable income of £27,000 sterling.
Here, where fees were "abolished", students receiving offer notices from the CAO next week may be somewhat surprised to find a fee schedule attached.
In 1996 students were asked for £150 in most colleges to cover student services, registration and exams. In 1997, they were faced with a 66 per cent increase as, in most cases, the amount went up to £250.
This year, students are being asked for £260, a four per cent increase on last year. Next year, who knows?
Applicants to the Dublin Institute of Technology and the colleges of education might be forgiven for thinking that they will have to pay out only £250 this year, as this is the figure on the CAO schedule. But when they go to register, they will be asked for the additional £10.
The CAO was not notified of the change in time to include it in the schedule. The decision was approved by the Department of Education in late July and communicated to the Higher Education Authority which, in turn, informed the colleges.
Students who are eligible for maintenance grants will have the £260 covered by their grant. There are two fee schedules listed on the CAO form - SW status and standard.
If you are eligible for a maintenance grant (SW status), then you pay nothing when you accept a CAO offer except in the case of the three private Dublin colleges - American College, LSB College and Portobello College.
The problem is that many students do not yet know whether they will get a grant. They worry that they will lose their place if they do not pay the fee.
This will not happen. If you have applied for a grant, return the offer notice, pay nothing, and you will be billed for the £260 at registration if you do not qualify for a grant.
But the £260 fee is not the full story. A glance down the standard column of the fees schedule shows a request for £292 for UCC, £290 for DCU and UCD, £310 for TCD, and £291 for UL and NUIG.
These figures include the £260 but there is an additional local levy. This goes towards student centres, student facilities and sports facilities and are "local" agreements, so they are not covered by the grant. Standard applicants must pay the full amount while SW status applicants must pay the difference between the full amount and £260.
Confused? If not, you should be. Let us take a case in point. If you are a grant-aided student going to TCD you must pay £310 less £260.
In effect, you will be £50 out of pocket. You are £50 worse off than when "free fees" were introduced.
If you are a "standard" applicant then you must cough up the full £310, which does not come under the "free fees" scheme.
This whole situation is not only ridiculously complicated, cumbersome and confusing, it is also unnecessary. Why do the colleges not charge these fees at registration? Why are acceptance fees handled through the CAO? Indeed, why are these fees not covered by the "free fees" scheme?
The obvious reason for the CAO handling the fees is to cut down on frivolous applications and to make people take the whole process seriously. But we must ask ourselves how many frivolous people there are out there meandering through the college applications system.
All the evidence is that students and parents take the process as seriously as the colleges and the CAO.
The other question that must be asked is why the grant applications cannot be processed in time. If students at least knew they were eligible for a grant, it would make their college applications easier to handle. If they also knew they would be paid in time - during their first month in college - it would alleviate a lot of stress.
Students apply for grants in July, six months after they apply for places. Why not bring the application date forward?
A spokesman for the Department of Education said the Department itself would like to improve matters; however, he noted that only 40 per cent of grant applicants complied with the current deadline, and said this was a major factor in the timescale for grant processing. Also, a large percentage of incomplete and incorrect applications is received each year.
At present, students must apply to their local authority or VEC for grants. The report of the Advisory Committee on Third Level Student Support, which was published in 1995, found the administrative arrangements to be fragmented, cumbersome and very confusing for applicants.
It recommended that the processing of grant applications and payments be transferred to a central office.
In August 1997, a working group involving officials from the Departments of Education and of Social, Community and Family Affairs began to examine the various options for the administration of the student support schemes. This group reported to the Minister for Education.
Three years after the advisory committee's report was published, a further detailed review is in the offing.
It is possible that responsibility will pass from the Department of Education to the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. Meanwhile, the confusing and fragmented system remains in place.
PLC grants
If you are considering a PLC course you are probably wondering how you apply for a grant and what the eligibility limits will be.
Although the Minister for Education has given a firm commitment that PLC students will be eligible to apply for maintenance grants this year, the full details are not yet sorted out.
An announcement is expected next week. It appears that the Vocational Education Committees will handle the grant applications and the grants will be paid in December or January.
As to eligibility limits, the Minister has stated: "The scheme will operate along the lines of the existing third-level schemes and will be a critical development in enhancing access to lifelong learning." So it is likely that the eligibility limits will be similar.
Those with an income of £23,189 or more will probably not therefore qualify for a maintenance grant. The maximum grant for third-level students is £1,652 (full maintenance for a student living away from home), and it is likely that this limit will also apply to PLC students.
It is estimated that 40 per cent of students in universities and 60 per cent of those in institutes of technology receive grants. The percentage of eligible PLC students will probably exceed 60.
Most PLC courses are one year in duration but students on longer courses will also be eligible for grants, according to the Department of Education. This means that students entering second year this year can apply.
In all, about 22,000 PLC places have been sanctioned this year.
Foundation study
The DIT has two foundation courses in music and engineering which fall between the cracks when it comes to free fees. These courses, which are listed in the CAO handbook, do not fulfill the criteria for the free fees scheme as they are of one-year duration. They are offered by a third-level institution but they would probably conform best to the PLC model.
At present, you must be prepared to pay more than £800 in fees. In addition, you may not apply for maintenance grants although these grants have now been extended to PLC students as well as third-level students.
A spokesman for the Department of Education says that these courses were reviewed this year vis-a-vis fees and, as they do not lead to certification or an award, they are viewed as preparatory courses. Perhaps it is time for the DIT to think about certification.
Contacting CAO
The CAO will post out offer notices next Monday. The cut-off points will be published in a special College Places supplement to be published with The Irish Times on Tuesday.
In the past, the CAO dealt with queries using a series of answering machines. This year the answering machines will not be in place so anyone calling the CAO is likely to be in for a long wait. Getting through will be a matter of "pot luck", according to one source.
Instead of phoning, the CAO advises applicants to complete the inquiry form they will receive on Tuesday with their offer notice. Inquiries sent on these forms will be answered by return post.
College Places
The College Places supplement to be published next Tuesday will contain a complete list of the cut-off points for round-one offers. It will have a detailed overview of the accommodation situation and will deal with grants and finance.