Stay-at-home mum has to find €1,500 extra to send kids to college after Budget 2026

Louise Walsh

A mother-of-three has said it is only due to a backlash from parents and students that a proposed €1,000 hike in student contribution fees wasn't introduced.

Nicola Kearns from Ratoath, Co Meath, now has to find an extra €1,500 this year for college fees because of the budget.

She believes the Government has reneged on their election promises and the Programme for Government by reinstating only half of the €1,000 student contribution fee.

This fee was reduced over the last three years as part of cost-of-living packages.

Plans to reinstate the full amount of €1,000 were mooted in June by Minister for Higher and Further Education James Lawless.

"That decision sparked a huge backlash from students and parents, and considerable media coverage. I believe that push back has led the government to rethink that planned increase," Ms Kearns said.

"We were told back then, 'wait and see what comes out in the budget', so parents were left juggling budgets while the government decided to play with our stress levels after telling us the full fees would be reintroduced.

"In this budget, the Government pushed the fee back up by half - €500, and they expect us to be grateful that they're only reinstating half of the €1,000 reduced to help us in cost-of-living measures.

"I have a bit of news for them. The cost of living has only increased, but I don't suppose we will ever see any of them trying to look for the bargains while doing their weekly shop.

"As a parent of three third-level students, I will have to find €7,500 this year (€1,500 extra) to pay for those fees for my three children who are in three different colleges.

"When you reflect on that alongside the fact that Ireland is considerably lagging behind other European countries when it comes to budgetary spend on third level, at less than 1 per cent of GDP, it's reasonable to conclude that the government and Minister Lawless have significantly more work to do to address the gross underfunding of the sector.

"I went to pay for my children's fees in recent weeks, and the colleges weren't even sure what to charge. I've paid 20% of the fees for one and started a monthly direct debit, which will now have to be changed to reflect the extra cost.

"I've paid 50 per cent of the fees to another college, and the third university hasn't come to me yet for any payment.

"I have a one-income family and I know a lot of parents will now be digging deep, going without, facing into a winter with rising fuel, transport and grocery bills."