6,300 euros a year

Is how much it costs for third level students to live. Latest figures from a survey carried out by Ulster bank. The kid finishes school next year, is taking a year out to do a portfolio course and then hopefully go on to college. Free education my eye. That is a tidy sum and on average if they do a degree, which lets face it, most will, you're looking at just under 30,000 to send him/her to college. The cost is madness. You've got the students to take up part-time jobs but these end up being
exhausted trying to study and work. I suppose its a bit cheaper if they live with you, but I can't see that happening. Once they hit college, they want to branch out and leave the nest.

I wonder what route the kid will take. All I know is we need to start saving some more for her college fund. The likeihood of us getting a house before she starts college are slim and none. On the plus side, she's looking forward to college. Three years ago she didn't even entertain notions.

To add to this , the brother still hasn't contributed a penny to the account. We had a discussion at the start of the year, as to why we should all chip in as the kid is an orphan and whilst we can afford her schooling now, there is no way we will be able to save for college as well. The sister has been giving her bit but the brother is infuriating. He will make up the stupidest excuses to get out of it. And now he's stopped replying altogether. Out of all of us, he's the one with the least expenses. He got the family home for next to nothing a week. Because Mam was on disability allowence the rent was always kept low, it went up a bit when he took over but not much. Its beyond me how he can't or won't contribute 50 euro a month for the kids education. I feel like I'm banging my head off a brick wall sometimes. I've left him to it now, the sister is taking over trying to get him to give something. My stress levels are at a reasonable level and I don't want them through the roof thanks to that eejit.