Money seemed to be the main pre-occupation of those calling the help-line yesterday. The reality of fees, grants and accommodation costs has set in as students accept or reject round-one offers.
Students who did not get their first choice in round one are wondering about the financial implications of taking up the offer they have and then, perhaps, changing course next year. The general rule is that free tuition fees only apply to students taking an undergraduate course for the first time, but, as with everything else in the maze of college applications, fees and grants, it's more complicated than that.
For instance, if you begin a course and drop out before January 31st you need pay only half fees for the subsequent first year, but if the January 31st deadline passes you will be liable for full fees in your next first year.
There is an exception to this rule: students on ESF-funded undergraduate courses, which are largely the preserve of the institutes of technology, may drop out, pass or fail first year and then re-apply for a different ESF-funded course without affecting their free fees or grant entitlement. Students may avail of this provision only once.
This would seem to discriminate against university students who make a mistake and then pay more than £2,000 in fees plus lose their grant for one year if they want to change course.
The free fees initiative applies to eligible students who are both first-time undergraduates and EU nationals resident in an EU member-state for at least three of the five years preceding their entry to an approved third level course.
The free fees initiative does not include the charge payable by students to the colleges towards the cost of registration, examination and student services. This year, the basic charge is £278, but some colleges also charge a local levy ranging from £30 to £50. This levy is not covered by your grant, so grant-aided students are, in fact, slightly worse off than before the free-fees initiative, when all of their costs were covered by their grant.
Free fees are not payable for students who are repeating a year, having failed their end-of-term examinations or as a result of changing course (with the exception mentioned above). An exception may also be made where a student has to repeat a year due to illness.
Other Dublin-based students are juggling the costs of going to a private third-level college and staying at home against the cost of taking up a place elsewhere and paying for accommodation. There are now five private third-level colleges in Dublin offering courses through the CAO - American College, Dublin Business School, Griffith College, LSB College and Portobello College.
These colleges have all been designated by the National Council for Educational Awards. This is a guarantee that the college has met certain standards and requirements set by the State-established council. All of the courses offered by these colleges through the CAO are NCEA approved.
For those worried about the stability of private colleges, the enactment of the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act 1999 means bonding is now compulsory for all courses leading to qualifications from state awarding bodies. Introducing the legislation, the Minister for Education said: "Commercial profit-making providers will be required to have in place arrangements to ensure that learners can be provided with the education and training service which they have paid for or, if this is not possible, that the learners can be refunded monies paid."
The 1995 Finance Act provides for tax relief, at the standard rate of tax, for tuition fees (to a maximum of £2,500) paid in respect of students attending approved courses at approved third-level colleges.
The Department of Education has produced a useful leaflet on third-level student support. Tel: (01) 873 4700.
Repeating the Leaving Certificate
Other students are wondering whether they should repeat the Leaving Certificate or take up an offer of a certificate/diploma place or begin a post-Leaving Cert course.
Our help-line guidance counsellors advise students to think very seriously about repeating as there are so many other options available now. Even if you have set your sights on a degree, and nothing else will satisfy you, it is perfectly possible to climb the qualifications ladder from post-Leaving Cert to national certificate to diploma to degree. It may take an additional year or even two, but the free fees initiative applies as you move upwards.
"Our experience is that unless you're highly motivated, it can be very difficult to go back over the same material, particularly in the early part of the year. You should balance the year you will spend repeating against the extra year involved in doing a PLC or certificate/diploma course," says guidance counsellor Vivian Cassells.
If you are repeating for points, before you sign on for a repeat course you should go through every subject and truthfully consider whether you can increase your grades. Remember, you cannot accumulate points over two sittings. Your points score, for the purposes of college entry, are the points accumulated over your best six subjects in one sitting.
If, on the other hand, you are repeating because you failed an essential subject, you can just take that subject alone as subject requirements can be accumulated over a number of sittings. If you go along this route, you might consider combining it with another course such as a PLC. If you got your essential subject requirements this time round, it leaves you free to concentrate on the other subjects you are taking for points purposes.
The Points Commission looked at the performance of students who sat the Leaving Certificate in 1997 and found that a smaller percentage of repeat and external students, 81 per cent, took at least five subjects, compared to virtually 100 per cent of school-based candidates.
Comparisons between school candidates and repeat and external candidates show broadly similar aggregate results. For instance, 55 per cent of re peat and external candidates were awarded a minimum of six grade Ds, of which a minimum of two were at grade C3 or higher on higher grade papers. This compares to 50 per cent of school candidates. However, 5 per cent of external candidates had a minimum of six grade C3s on higher papers, of which three were at grade A2 or higher as compared with 3.3 per cent of regular school candidates and 2.3 per cent of school repeat candidates.
The number of students repeating the Leaving Certificate has dropped to fewer than 5,000 in the past three years. This compares with some 8,000 students repeating in the preceding three years. The decline in numbers coincided with the introduction of the six-year cycle at second level. It is also a function of the increased number of alternative routes open to students.
Watchmaking
There are places available on an unusual course, a diploma in watch-making offered by the Irish Swiss Institute of Horology in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. The three-year course, which begins on September 8th, is run under the auspices of Dublin Vocational Education Committee (fee £150 per annum).
The institute was founded in 1965 by the Federation of Swiss Watch Manufacturers in collaboration with the Irish Department of Education. In addition to watch- and clock-servicing and repair, students study electronics, maths/book-keeping, business studies, French and English. There are practical classes in basic jewellery-making and repairing in third year. Final exams are overseen by a representative of the Swiss watch industry and successful candidates are awarded the institute's diploma in watch-making.
The minimum requirement is Leaving Certificate with grade D3 in five subjects including maths and one applied science/science subject or equivalent. For more information write to the Secretary, Irish Swiss Institute of Horology, Mill Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Tel: (01) 821 3352.
Vacant places
The colleges will continue to offer vacant places until they are filled or the course begins. This column will include a full list of vacant places on offer through the CAO later this week.