Higher Education Minister Simon Harris today announced an extra 1,250 colleges places for incoming first years.
Some 360 places will be allocated to health and education sectors. The additional places will be divided up proportionally amongst the other higher education institutions in accordance with their most recent undergraduate intake.
The additional places, Harris said at a press conference today, will focus on traditionally high-demand courses.
The increased spaces come at a time of uncertainty for students waiting for their leaving certificate results, as options such as gap year abroad or taking a year out to work have become less feasible for students.
The increases are an attempt by the government to meet what it predicts will be an increased demand for college spaces.
Harris said that higher education institutions could therefore become a “refuge” for students leaving secondary school.
“What I hope this will do is provide some flexibility and obviously additionality in terms of the places that we can offer people. Particularly in the courses that are traditionally the high demand courses”, he said.
“It can’t make up for the year that was but I do hope that it will help many more students look forward to the future, and look forward to beginning a new chapter of their life in college.”
Leaving certificate results are set to be released on September 7th, and CAO offers will follow on September 11th.
Freshers’ week will begin on September 28th, a week later than originally planned.
All other students will begin college on September 28th as previously planned, meaning that freshers’ week will clash with their first teaching week.
