TCD to put cap on deferrals as virus threatens academic year

TRINITY College says it will cap the number of students allowed to defer places as the coronavirus threatens to wreck the next academic year.

The move follows a leaked report from the Higher Education Authority (HEA) that says ‘significant numbers’ of Leaving Cert students are likely to defer taking up college places this year.

Universities, in particular, are also facing a drop of up to 80% in new international students and 20% in current international students. In the UK, 25% of students offered places for next year have already deferred.

It comes as universities have admitted that most if not all lectures will take place online next year meaning freshers will miss out on the all-important social aspect of college life.

Changed economic conditions for parents and limited summer work may also make it less attractive for many students to go to college in the coming year.

A spokesperson for Trinity College told the Irish Mail on Sunday it was aware of the problem but said it must limit deferrals to protect the following year’s crop of new applications.

‘Trinity College will endeavour to grant as many deferral requests as it can, bearing in mind that a sufficient number of places have to be retained for students who will be applying for admission in 2021,’ they said.

A lecturer at another university in Dublin told the

MoS that ‘student retention’ was now the big issue in third-level institutions.

‘We’re been told to get on Zoom calls with existing students and get them excited about the work starting in September,’ they said.

‘Because it’s not just freshers who are wanting to defer, it’s second and third years too. Remote learning is very difficult for students and they do miss out on all the life skills that college life teaches.

‘I’ve been remote teaching for nine weeks now and most of the time is taken up with motivating students.’

Clare Austick, president of

NUI Galway students’ union, said that because places will not be offered until later in the summer, it is impossible to tell how many will attempt to defer.

But she has already heard of many who intend to delay going to college or put off coming back if they are already enrolled.

‘You can understand it. It costs a lot of money to live in Galway and what’s the point in it if you are remote learning,’ she said.

‘And if you come from rural parts and are trying to learn remotely, the quality of broadband isn’t always up to it. I imagine that NUIG will have to limit the numbers deferring too.’

The college did not respond to queries on the matter, nor did UCD.

There was some good news for Trinity students on Friday when the college announced it would be keeping its Erasmus student exchange programme in place.

‘We have decided to continue to offer, where possible, Erasmus exchanges to students in Semester 1 of the next academic year,’ the college said. ‘Decisions about Semester 2 will be made in September.’

Meanwhile, UCD has written to all students setting out how the coming academic year will look, with core modules ‘expected’ to be delivered in person but noncore classes likely to be taught via distance learning.

The college said it would be guided by principles including a commitment to face-to-face teaching ‘within whatever public health restrictions apply at the time’.

Meanwhile, this week’s leaked HEA report also highlighted the ‘immense’ financial consequences facing the sector which are estimated to amount to at least a €500 million shortfall in total this year and next. It said significant Government intervention in the form of a financial support package is required to help institutions through this crisis.

‘Most of the time spent motivating students’