Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

[Press Release] Significant increase in numbers returning to college - HEA

Options
  • 22-05-2008 12:23pm
    #1
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 16,720 ✭✭✭✭


    HEA press release 22/05/2008

    www.hea.ie

    Significant increase in numbers returning to college

    HEA stats show more mature students at third level

    The number of mature students (persons aged over 23) entering Irish universities rose by 18% and in institutes of technology by 14% between 2005/06 and 2006/07. There are also now over 10,500 full time students in Ireland aged over 30. The figures are revealed in the annual Higher Education Authority report, “Higher Education: Key Facts and Figures” published today.

    Chief Executive of the Higher Education Authority (HEA), Tom Boland welcoming this development, said,

    “Higher education is an option for everyone, regardless of their age. The number of avenues back into the education system has grown in recent years and we are delighted that so many mature learners are now on our third level campuses or indeed, engaging in various forms of open and distance learning.”

    Tom Boland pointed out that details of financial supports for mature students can be found on the website, www.studentfinance.ie.

    Other key statistics revealed in today’s report show that –

    * Enrolments at universities, colleges of education, the National College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Surgeons increased by an average of 7.2% last year (2006/07) while there was a slight decline in new entrants at the Institutes of Technology.
    * Arts and Humanities disciplines remain the most popular course choices – 28% of new entrants to third level.
    * Computing dominates the science disciplines in the Institutes of Technology (61%).
    * Enrolment in PhD programmes was up 8% in 2006/07 in the universities but by 28% in the institutes of technology.
    * In the universities, 10.4% of students were from outside Ireland while for the institutes of technology, that figure is 4.6%.

    The Higher Education Authority is the independent statutory body charged with advising Government on higher education policy and for funding our universities and third level colleges.


Advertisement