Trinity is still owed over €100,000 in unpaid student fees, more than two years after an administrative mix up which left Trinity €1.7 million out of pocket, The University Times can reveal.
Information obtained under a Freedom of Information Request by this newspaper shows that “62 active payment plans to the value of €102,685” were owed as of the end of 2021.
In 2019, this newspaper reported that Trinity had been left chasing over €500,000 in unpaid student contribution charge after an error between Academic Registry (AR) and SUSI which meant that 500 students, whose student contribution was not covered by SUSI, were never charged the remainder of their fees.
Of the 500 affected students, 217 were undergraduate students, while 283 had graduated. The outstanding debt does not pertain to active students any more, but only to graduates. It is not expected that this debt will be paid back until 2030.
According to Trinity’s debt policies, “unless an agreed and active payment plan is in place, those owing debt will be unable to progress through their studies, receive their exam results, graduate or re-register for another Trinity course”.
Instalments for those paying back the debt range from €5 to €1,000.
Trinity set up interest-free, flexible repayment plans with those affected. College told this newspaper in 2019 that a hardship fund was made available under the governance of the Senior Tutor’s Office.
In January 2019, The University Times reported that administrative confusion led Trinity to believe that SUSI would pay the outstanding fees. When this didn’t happen, the College began attempting to recover money from those who owed it, in a manner described by some students at the time as “dismissive” of their problems.
But emails seen by The University Times, as well as conversations with some students at the time involved, highlighted a recovery campaign from the College that some students say made them feel like they were to blame for the mixup, and also threatened some with the withholding of exam results as per Trinity’s debt policy.
Caoimhe Ní Lochlainn a then-College press officer, told this newspaper at the time that “some students do not get the full amount of SUSI grant they apply for and are therefore required to pay their own fees. In the past year it became apparent that some such students who had been notified by SUSI still had unpaid fees relating to the three years 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18”.
“College policy, out of fairness to students who did pay their fees, to the taxpayer and to Trinity, is that Trinity is obliged to recoup any unpaid fees”, she said.
The SUSI maintenance grant is means-based and paid in nine instalments by recipients. There are four scheduled payments during the first term.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris expanded the SUSI grant system for the first time in a decade as part of Budget 2022, by increasing the maintenance payment and €200, and the eligibility threshold will be raised by €1,000, benefiting approximately 60,000 students in receipt of the grant. Instead of deciding to cut the contribution fee, with the expansion of SUSI Harris said he was prioritising reducing the cost of college for those who needed it most. A total of €35 million has been ringfenced for supporting students with the cost of higher education.
In its pre-budget submission, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) asked that the SUSI grant be increased and expanded.
“If Ireland wishes to continue to be seen as a world leader in Higher Education, it must take action to ensure all students have the opportunity to access Higher Education”, the document says.
It asked that eligibility criteria be expanded so that anyone over the age of 18 can be assessed as “independent” if they meet all the criteria. It also called to abolish the residency rule, which would allow asylum seekers and returning emigrants to access SUSI.
Harris has since announced plans to cut the student contribution fee by €1,000.
The SUSI system is no stranger to causing controversy– students consistently argue that the stipend is too low and the process for calculating eligibility for the grant is unfit for purpose.
The USI told this newspaper in August that students in receipt of the grant would particularly struggle this year, as the first payment was not due until October 8th, several weeks after most colleges started.
In an email statement to The University Times last year, USI Vice President for Welfare Somhairle Brennan said: “Starting college, or coming back to college, is an extremely expensive time. So much money is needed up front, especially for the larger cost items like rent and deposits for accommodation.”
“It is very unfortunate that the first SUSI payment does not look like it will be made until October 8. This is weeks, or even up to a month, after college is due to start”, they said.
Brennan added that the level of the SUSI grant is “not even fit for purpose” as “the level of financial support given to students through SUSI was drastically cut in 2011 and has not been reinstated, despite soaring costs of living, particularly accommodation costs”.
SUSI has said that the payment schedule was pushed back in accordance with the later start to the academic year and delayed leaving cert results.
In an email statement to The University Times, SUSI communications and customer service manager Eleanor Murphy said: “SUSI consulted with colleges and found that for the academic year 2021-22, many colleges will open from mid to end September”.
The cost of living in Ireland is on the rise and last August, the Irish Independent reported that the cost of college is set to increase to up to €14,000 for students living away from home.
This includes the €3,000 student contribution charge, as well as rising food prices and the cost of rent.
The cost of living guide is compiled annually by TU Dublin. Rent costs quoted are based on prices in the capital.
