An article in the Irish Times on 17th
August reports that children of non-EU nationals are required to pay substantially
more in college fees than an Irish national student. This financial burden
means that in the first round of CAO offers, many non-EU students will be
forced to reject or defer placements. Many of these students have resided in
the state for a number of years, but the accumulated time is not sufficient to
exempt them from the international student fees.
Children of non-EU nationals are required to
register with the GNIB at the age of 16, and often, they are given residency
classifications that mislabel them as foreign students or foreign workers,
despite many of these students having resided in Ireland for a substantial
length of time. They wish to apply for citizenship based on the citizenship of
their parents, since without citizenship they do not qualify for the EU tuition
rates, but most of the time, their parents have not resided in the state long
enough to obtain naturalisation before the student turns 18 and begins applying
for college.
Some universities have acknowledged this
problem and allow these students to pay EU fees, which are less than non-EU
fees but still substantially more than Irish fees. This system effectively bars
many bright, capable students from going to colleges where they have well
earned their place.
Brophy Solicitors
21.08.12
