Some college students are borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders in an attempt to pay the high cost of university, according to the Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
And financial constraints are the main rationale behind the choices students make in colleges and courses, the union said.
The cost of attending college per student per year has risen to almost €7,000 when the college registration fee is taken into account, according to new figures released by the USI. The union is demanding an increase in student grants to basic social welfare level, in order to prevent students from amassing large debts.
Nine months of study cost €6,290.64 - or nearly €700 per month. When the €670 annual college registration fee is added, the total is €6,960.64. The average student spends about €76 on alcohol each month and €104 on food, the USI survey found.
Accommodation is the largest outlay at nearly €291 per month on average, but more than €300 when heating costs are taken into account. Mr Glen Guilfoyle, USI Welfare Officer, said the cost of college is fast becoming the way students choose their course or location of study.
Three out of four students choose a college adjacent to their home, two-thirds choose their course for financial reasons, and half work part-time to finance their study.
"This shatters the myth that the State or parents totally finance education," said Mr Guilfoyle.
Some students drop out and join the workforce, rather than ending up further in debt, he added.
Most students take out a bank loan at some stage in their college life, but some have made the mistake of borrowing from unlicensed moneylenders. "This is resulting in exorbitant interest rates and, in some cases, serious intimidation," Mr Guilfoyle said.
The USI has advised students to make out a comprehensive budget at the start of the year, taking into account all income and expenditure. This will give the student - and parents - an indication of whether borrowing is necessary.
"Students pursuing teachertraining courses suffer particular hardship during teaching practice, as they often have to travel far to their chosen school, pay for materials for class exercises and purchase new clothes suitable for the classroom," said Mr Guilfoyle.
The news that students choose their courses and colleges for financial reasons is not surprising, although it may result in a ghettoisation of students in geographic areas. Universities and institutes hoping to attract students from other areas of the Republic may find themselves remaining more homogeneous than they wish.
If college fees were to be introduced by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, who is known to support them, then the annual cost of college could rise to €10,000 or more.