94% of parents (up from 74% in 2014) supporting their children financially through college, contributing €453 per month per child to cover costs of college

59% of parents getting into debt to cover college cost, €5,030 is the average debt per child per annum

10% of these parents will consider a moneylending option to cover costs

Parents are saving for an average of 8 years to put their child (children) through college

72% of parents really struggling to cover the cost of their child’s third level education

64% of family budgets have been adversely affected by the third level registration fee (fall from 79% in 2014)

41% of parents find accommodation costs particularly stressful

62% of students living at home compared to 44% in 2013, paying average of €380 on average in rent

Students living outside the home spending €1,033 euro per month, those living at home spending €474 per month on average

7 in 10 students work throughout the academic year to find their third level education, working on average 26 hours per week

spects (24%) and location of course (17%)

(13th August 2015) With 58,000 students yesterday receiving their Leaving Certificate results, the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) has today published their 2015 ‘Third Level Education Survey. The research asked both parents and students about how they will meet the costs of third level education and the financial challenges that exist in meeting these costs. The results highlight what the impact of sending children to college (in financial terms) has on family spending and budgets as well as the challenges and concerns parents have in relation to finance, grants, living away from home and job prospects. The students were asked about working throughout the term, job prospects in Ireland course choice and emigration.