‘Education or home is stark choice’: Students in Cork struggling to meet cost of returning to college

Many students in Cork feel “like they have to choose between actually getting an education or having a roof over their heads”, said Munster Technology University students’ union president, Isobel Kavanagh, about the accommodation crisis.

With the new academic term a few weeks away, third-level students are fearful about the rising costs of accommodation in Cork City.

Ms Kavanagh said students are worried: “They are turning to us, as they don’t know what else to do. They are feeling like they have to choose between actually getting an education or having a roof over their heads.”

Ms Kavanagh, who was elected in June, said the lack of student accommodation has led to students failing exams and having to drop out of college.

“They are being forced to pay extortionate prices, just to basically have a substandard roof over their heads and it is not good enough,” Ms Kavanagh said. 

“It is extremely evident that the lack of student accommodation has directly led to extremely high failure rates in students. This will lead to students having to drop out of college, as they are not able to pay rents.

“Accommodation has always been an issue, but this year it seems to be massive compared to other years. Students are genuinely at their wits’ end. They are coming into the office, and you can see it in their faces. They are just distraught over the search,” she added.

Ms Kavanagh said the rising fuel costs also rule out commuting for many students.

“We have been hearing that there is accommodation around the place, but the fact is that students are going to have to pay up to €285 per week,” Ms Kavanagh said. “If you are a full-time student, that is not possible. They are saying, ‘if there is no accommodation, why don’t students commute?’ How are students supposed to commute when petrol prices are through the roof?

“Students won’t be able to go to college, as they won’t be able to live near the college. Something needs to be done.”

Ms Kavanagh said more publicly funded student accommodation needs to be built or made available.

She added: “In terms of digs, stricter legislation needs to be brought in that will help the students, as they currently have barely any rights when it comes to digs.”

University College Cork (UCC) students’ union president, Asha Woodhouse, said the situation is the same for their students.

“There is a lot of anxiety and uncertainty presenting for a lot of students,” Ms Woodhouse said. 

“For every one person advertising a room, you probably have 10 to 15 people looking for that room. There is a bit of a bottleneck going on, with a lot of people looking for places. 

"The sense that we have is that there are a lot of rooms available, but people can’t afford the price market,” she said.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, said students and families are “worried sick” about securing college accommodation. “I am contacted every day by huge numbers of students and families in Cork, who are worried sick about how they will secure suitable college accommodation in time,” Mr Gould said. “Many are concerned they will have to make long and expensive commutes to college. Students should be able to focus on their studies, not face the added stress of navigating the housing crisis.”

Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, said urgent capital investment is needed “to enable HEIs to progress shovel-ready building projects and provide affordable accommodation”.

“From my consultations with HEIs, I estimate that between 3,000 and 6,000 beds are at advanced stages and could be progressed immediately as co-funded accommodation projects. Student affordability would obviously be a condition of such funding. We need to fully examine the use of rapid-build construction units, as students need immediate action.

“The minister must also initiate a national awareness campaign on the rent-a-room tax relief to encourage homeowners to participate,” he added.