More than 50 per cent of full-time third-level students receive some income from their parents, and over 40 per cent are in receipt of grants and other State supports, according to a new survey.
The study, from the Higher Education Authority, says the average monthly income of full-time third-level students is €578. It confirms a continuing social imbalance in the makeup of students. More than 50 per cent of all full-time students are drawn from families with a professional background, it finds.
On accommodation, more than one-third of all students - both full- and part-time - live with their parents while in college. Broadly, students expressed satisfaction with accommodation in their home.
But many were unimpressed with the quality of purpose-built student accommodation at colleges.
The typical Irish full-time higher education student is 22, pursuing a primary degree (67 per cent), single (88 per cent), has no children and has entered higher education after completing the Leaving Certificate.
Part-time students are older, on average aged 32 years, are more likely to be in full-time or part-time employment and are married with children.
Part-time students are also more likely to use "non-traditional" entry routes and have a higher average monthly income (€1,934) than full-time students.
The study relates to 2003, when there were almost 165,000 students studying full-time or part-time in State-aided higher education institutions.
Up to 40 per cent of students responded to the questionnaire, but the response rate was 15 per cent or lower in some institutes of technology and teacher-training colleges.
Tom Boland, chief executive of the education authority, yesterday expressed concern about the relatively low number of people updating their skills through part-time education.