Ninety-six students have dropped out of DCU so far this year and 40 people have also deferred their course for the year.
This is consistent with last year’s figures, which saw a total of 95 students dropping out of DCU during the same time period. So far this year, 114 people have changed their course internally within DCU.
In DCU, when you drop out of a course before the 31st of October you “are liable to pay 50 percent student contribution and no tuition fees will be claimed from the HEA for that student” as stated in their fees protocol information booklet.
However, if you drop out between this date and the 31st of January you are expected to pay half of your Student contribution and half of your tuition fees. If you drop out at any stage after this date you have to pay the full student contribution and full tuition fees.
UCD and NUIG have a similar protocol as that of DCU. DIT, however, says in their student fee protocol that “tuition fees will not be refunded if a student decides to withdraw after the course has commenced; fees will only be refunded where a course does not commence.”
One student who wanted to transfer said that “DCU was very informative and supportive.” He said that when transferring internally you did not pay full fees but when transferring to a different college you have to pay the EU fees.
One student who dropped out GMIT said that “I didn’t pay any fees,” and that she went to talk to their student union and different councillors, saying “they were all so helpful and made it really easy.”
Aine Conaty
Image Credit: Tara Shiels