5 BIG Reasons to #GoNorth for College in 2022
In the last few years, an increasing number of students across Ireland have chosen to study in the North for college, over popular college destinations like Dublin and Galway. But why?
The North, or Northern Ireland, has always been a natural hinterland for university applications from students in surrounding counties such as Donegal, Monaghan and Louth, but now more than ever, students from all across the island are applying to universities in the north in huge numbers. So much so that we’ve had to partner with CareersPortal.ie to cater to the demand for information!
I can only speak for Ulster University (UU), but the numbers of students from the south of Ireland applying to us has increased by 580% since 2018. Part of the reason for this has been increased proactive engagement by UU with schools and colleges across the island. But it is the information we are giving pupils and Guidance Counsellors that is the result of this increase.
So, here are 5 big reasons why students are increasingly opting to choose northern universities over CAO choices, and why going north in September 2022 is certainly worth considering as a Leaving Cert student.
1.No points inflation
Unlike CAO, courses in the UCAS system do not have points requirements that fluctuate. The entry requirements don’t depend on how many people apply or how many people achieve certain grades. Instead, UK universities have static entry requirements that do not change. So, when an applicant applies to a course in UCAS, they can be certain about exactly what they need in their Leaving Cert to have their place confirmed on results day. UCAS applicants will receive a conditional offer before they even sit their leaving cert exams explaining what they need to do to get onto the course.
So this means less disappointed students and more students getting onto their first preference course choice. If you get the grades, you’re on the course. Even if a UCAS university is not a student’s first preference choice, it’s still wise to have many options on the table next August.
2.More money in your back pocket.
A lot is made about the cost of attending college no matter the location, and it is an important consideration for many students about to embark on that journey, but it should never be a deterrent. Northern Ireland is the most affordable place to live in the UK(Which? University Guide, 2018) and Belfast is the most affordable major city in the UK for rented student accommodation. Did you also know that you can use your SUSI maintenance award in Northern Ireland the same as you can anywhere else in Ireland?
Cost of living is generally cheaper in the north than it is anywhere else in Ireland. From the cost of groceries, socialising and rent. For example, students at Ulster University can save up to €12,000* in accommodation costs alone in comparison to studying in Dublin. So this means more money in your back pocket to spend on the things you love.
3. Study Now. Pay Later.
Whilst universities in the north have tuition fees, they are significantly more affordable than what an Irish student will pay in England, Scotland & Wales. In Northern Ireland, the fees are £4,395 per year, whereas across the water, tuition fees are £9,250 per year - all thanks to Brexit.
But when it comes to paying tuition fees, not many in the south of Ireland know that you don’t have to pay these up front. Republic of Ireland students are eligible, like students in the north, for a tuition fee loan. This “loan” (it’s badly named. It’s actually a graduate tax which I will myth-bust in a later article) covers the cost of fees until a student graduates and until they are earning over £19,895 (€23,180 approximately). The amount a graduate repays depends on the amount of money they are earning, but it is a drop in the ocean in comparison to their monthly salary. If a student were to never earn over this threshold, they do not have to pay it back.
So what this means is that students don’t pay anything before or during their college study, unless they want to by self-funding. Not a cent. No tuition fees, no contribution fees, no student levy charges. The tuition fee “loan” covers this. So the only outgoings you will have at university are accommodation costs and the general expenses of being a student.
4. Fully-Funded Health Courses
Now this is the one that blows people’s minds when I tell them about Ulster University. Ulster University is one of only two universities in the entirety of the UK & Ireland to have fully-funded health courses. No tuition fees whatsoever. These courses are fully-funded by the Department for Health NI who regulate and decide the student numbers for these courses. And, as you might expect, they are incredibly competitive. Applicants to these courses are required to sit an interview as part of the application process, which occur in February. The following courses at UU are fully-funded by the Department for Health which students in the Republic are eligible to apply for:
- Adult Nursing (known as General Nursing in ROI)
- Mental Health Nursing
- Diagnostic Radiography and Imaging
- Dietetics
- Occupational Therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry**
- Radiotherapy and Oncology
- Speech and Language Therapy
- Paramedic Science
These programmes are also 3-year programmes with embedded work industry placement as a significant part of them. Graduates of these programmes can register with the relevant bodies in the Republic of Ireland where they are recognised, and can work in the south of Ireland immediately after graduating. There’s no requirement to stay in the north
5. Brexit-proof study
I’ve mentioned Brexit already, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been 5 years since the referendum on the UK leaving the EU. Thankfully, the rights of students to study in the north has been protected, and so there has been no change to the status of fees for southern students. Students can also still study on the Erasmus exchange scheme, thanks to the Irish Government pledging to fund it for northern university students. For Higher Education in Northern Ireland, it’s almost as if Brexit never happened.
*across a 3-year degree programme
**Applicants to Podiatry do not have to sit an interview.
