THE INTRODUCTION of a cap on student numbers may be necessary as third-level colleges struggle to cope with a deepening funding crisis, a report commissioned by Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn has concluded.
The report by the Higher Education Authority argues that the underfunded third-level sector is reaching a tipping point, and appears to pave the way for college fees, student loans or increased student charges.
The authority warns the overall quality of higher education in Ireland is set to deteriorate sharply unless the funding crisis is addressed.
Senior Department of Education officials and college presidents have already been briefed on the report, which will increase the pressure on Mr Quinn to address the funding crisis. The report is expected to feed into Cabinet discussions on the crisis later this month.
The student cap envisaged in the report would see the introduction of a British-style system in which each college would be given a set allocation of student numbers and a matching budget.
Any such system would put strong upward pressure on CAO points for college places. It raises the prospect of students being unable to earn a place at some colleges, even if they had the points needed for their chosen course.
The authority’s report details the major decline in funding per student in the past five years. From 2008 to 2011, State support per university student fell by 18 per cent. The report praises the manner in which the colleges have achieved a 6 per cent cut in staff numbers in the past two years, while accommodating vastly increased student numbers.
But it warns that further cuts will damage the quality and the reputation of higher education in Ireland. Last month, both TCD and UCD fell sharply down the world university rankings. For the first time, Ireland has no college within the top 100.
The number of students in higher education has increased from 40,000 in 1980 to 120,000 in 2000 and more than 160,000 in 2010. Projections suggest this number could virtually double by 2030.
The report says the high cost of higher education in Britain (£9,000 – or €10,500 – for many undergraduate courses) will boost demand for places in Irish colleges among British citizens. It could also reduce the number of students from Ireland who opt to study in the UK. At the moment this number is estimated at about 6,000 per year.
In September, the student contribution charge or registration fee increased from €1,500 to €2,000, raising an additional €40 million for colleges in the Republic.
Mr Quinn has refused to give any guarantees on student fees in 2012 and beyond despite a pre-election pledge promising no increase in student charges. He has said this no longer stands as he has less room for manoeuvre than envisaged.
Last night, a spokesman for the seven university presidents said that resources per student have already fallen to a level that was affecting quality and creating doubts about the sustainability of the university sector.
Last year the Hunt report, which charted a 20-year strategy for the sector, backed student fees and a student loan scheme.