The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has claimed it has been informed by a senior Department of Education and Science official that a doubling of the student services charge is being considered. This would mean a rise from €670 to €1,300 per year.
USI says such a move would "cancel out the beneficial effects" of the "free fees" system for third-level students. The Department refused to rule out such a move, stating only that there were no plans as yet.
Universities are still reeling from effective budget cuts of 4 per cent last year.
The budget for current spending was increased by only 1 per cent, not enough to keep up with increased costs, while capital spending was cut from €75 million to €26 million, according to the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Unless the Department increases the higher education budget significantly, universities will be forced to cut staff and programmes, the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities (CHIU) stated last night.
The Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr John Hegarty, said Trinity would be in crisis if the Department did not increase its budget by several per cent in the upcoming estimates.
Last year, Dr Art Cosgrove, the then head of the CHIU, stated that a rise to €1400 would be required for universities to maintain services.
If the Department of Education could not substantially increase the higher education budget this year, it would have no choice but to impose tuition fees and a loan programme, or increase the student services charge, according to Mr Will Priestly, president of the USI.
The HEA has stated that an increase of 100 per cent in the student charges could not be justified by the expenditure covered by the fee. The CHIU has agreed, stating that the charges were always an "artificial contrivance".
The charge was originally imposed as a means of funding student services such as clubs and societies, pastoral care and administration of exams.
These particular expenses will not double in the next academic year.
The funding gathered through the charges has been used to offset financial losses in core academic programmes brought about by last year's funding decrease.
Dr Hegarty has called on the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, to clarify the issue of increasing student charges, if indeed this is on the Department's agenda.
The universities' Capital Review Committee will meet next week to address the impending crisis.
Sources within the university sector say that they would not be surprised if the Government were to review the student charges, although university heads are thought to favour the straightforward reintroduction of fees instead.
The Minister, however, has found this to be a politically treacherous policy to attempt.