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Costs of going to College
Daily costs as a student
Student life can be as expensive as you make it - good budgeting skills and practises can make student life more manageable financially and can help to maximise your student experience in UCC.
Shop around for the best deals, use your student card to avail of student discounts, "club in" with friends or housemates for general house items such as milk, bread, butter etc.
Below is a breakdown of student costs that may be applicable to you.
Please Note: These are not concrete figures but a very reflective average. Furthermore please see further below information on associated costs with specefic courses.
Your accommodation plays a very significant role in ensuring the success of your college year. Please take the time to select the accommodation option most suitable to your needs and your pocket.
The good news is that there is an excellent supply of accommodation in Cork for all our students and you will have a good choice in each sector.
A breakdown of accommodation costs can be viewed at https://www.ucc.ie/en/accommodation/ or averages below:
private rentals: ranging from approx. €450 to €650 per month
students who secure private rentals are expected to pay one month’s deposit and one month’s rent in advance. private rental properties normally exclude the cost of utilities so you should always factor these into your overall budget. UCC has a dedicated accommodation search engine for private rentals known at studentpad. Students are usually expected to pay their rent each month for this type of accommodation.
student accommodation (apartment style): ranging from approx. €6,000 to €10,000 per academic year
the average cost of apartment style student accommodation is approx. €7,000 per academic year. prices for apartment style accommodation may include utility bills and a lease can last from 37 to 42 weeks.
utility bills: approx. €65 per month
utilities include bills such as internet access (approx. €20*), electricity/gas (approx. €35*), and bins (approx. €10*). it is, however, reasonable to assume a bit of leeway here as bills can vary across the city, with different suppliers, usage, number of people sharing the bills and can depend on the condition and age of the house.
*prices estimated are per month per student
transport: Varies
can be as low as €0 per month if within walking distance but if you are travelling within the city bus travel can cost up to 67.50 or if you are travelling from a rural area on public transport 146.00 euros. if you are deciding to travel by car, this cost is based on the parking, tax and fuel costs. this can be broken down to average 120 euros per month (not including insurance) over a 9 month academic term
food: €200 per month
we all have to eat, and students need to factor in a food budget. you should put aside at least €50 per week for a weekly grocery shop. make sure to put your gut first, plenty of fruit and veg, your body will thank you for it!
social life & entertainment: €157 per month
nowadays our social life can be limited with the ongoing pandemic, but we still enjoy some form of social life, even if it is from the comfort of your bedroom. streaming sites such as netflix, amazon prime and disney+ can be expensive and you could pay up to €40 per month for such services. factor in deliveroo (1 x €12.50 p/w), online shopping (€30 p/m), phone credit (€20 pp/m), spotify (€5 p/m) and perhaps a coffee a week at €3, you could have expenses of up to €157 per month.
Academic costs
The academic costs involved in being a UCC student can vary depending on your course, and also on how much efficient you are in terms of your study and the resources you require.
- Books
- Photocopying and printing
You may feel that you need to buy every book in relation to your course, which is very admirable but it will also be very costly, with the average cost of a book at third level being approximately €80.
What if you rush out to buy four books at a total cost of €320, and then never use them?
You could have used that €320 to pay for a month’s rent or a few weeks food shopping.
Some core books you will need to purchase, but be frugal in your urge to buy books – instead borrow them from the UCC library or share with your friends!
Be careful when you are printing or photocopying notes etc.
Every page you produce is costing you money so only print what you actually need and where possible, print “back to back” as this is cheaper – you will be surprised at how much money you lose when you over print!
Below is a breakdown of printing costs in the Boole library.
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A4 Black and White single-sided
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6c per page
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A4 Black and White double-sided
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6c per page (12c per sheet)
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A3 Black and White single-sided
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14c per page
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A4 Colour single-sided
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20c per page
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A3 Colour single-sided
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40c per page
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Specific course costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be costs within the course that you may not be aware of and these unexpected costs may affect your student budget and may put you under strain at times. These
costs will be on top of the regular day to day academic costs of books, printing and photocopying.
The best advice is to speak to someone actually studying the course who will give you the costs involved, both expected and unexpected.
If struggling to meet these costs, ask for help!
Make an appointment with myself or speak with your department in relation to specific department costs such as fieldtrips, course equipment etc.
Below is a list of costs students incur that they may not have been aware of upon commencement of their course.
Some subjects require you to undertake fieldtrips as part of the course content. These can be in Ireland or abroad and unfortunately, you will have to pay towards the fieldtrip costs, which could range from €10 to €500.
If receiving a Student Grant, you may be able to claim a refund for part or all of these costs.
You should contact SUSI or your awarding Local Authority, where appropriate, in relation to this potential refund.
Other courses for example such as CK116: BEd Sports Studies and Physical Education (SSPE) also have other costs, such as coaching courses and clothing costs, associated with it.
As every course is unique it is reccommended to enagge with your course co-ordinator or view on the spefecific course department webpages.
Some courses in the College of Business and Law require students to go on six month placements in third year, and there can be costs, such as travel, accommodation etc., involved for students. These costs vary, but it is important to be aware of them.
Also, before CK201 (Commerce) students can commence their placement, they must hold a valid ECDL qualification.
The UCC Computer Training centre offers training in ECDL for all registered UCC students – the course costs a total of €195, consisting of €55 for a Skills card and 7 x €20 for the course modules.
Further information can be viewed at http://www.ucc.ie/en/tcentre/ecdl/
There are associated costs with courses in the College of Science, Engineering and Food Sciences. These include lap equipment such as lab coats, goggles and dissection kits, laboratory manuals etc.
Fieldtrips can also form an important role in courses and, as with courses in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Science, you will have to pay towards the fieldtrip costs, which could range from €10 to €500.
If receiving a Student Grant, you may be able to claim a refund for part or all of these costs.
You should contact SUSI or your awarding Local Authority, where appropriate, in relation to this potential refund.
As part of your course you may undergo a placement element for six months in 3rd year. This placement may be in Ireland or abroad, and there will be costs such as travel, accommodation etc. involved.
- College of Medicine and Health
Within the College of Medicine and Health, there are course costs such as immunisations, which can be obtained from the UCC Student Health centre for a cost of €225, for some courses such as Medicine and Nursing.
More information can be obtained at http://www.ucc.ie/en/studenthealth/
Dentistry students can also incur course cost in relation to their dental kits in 3rd year to the value of approx. €4000. More information can be obtained at http://www.ucc.ie/en/dentalschool/
Medical students can also incur costs in relation to their accommodation costs for the placement elements of their course. More information can be obtained at http://www.ucc.ie/en/medical/
So as start your college career or as you progress through your college careers, it might be a good decision to be aware if the costs of your course – both apparent such as Fees but also those “hidden” costs such as
fieldtrips, course equipment and requirements.
The best way to get this information is to ask about it
Ask someone doing the course, ask the department running the course, or ask me, the Budgetary Advisor because “forewarned is forearmed” and you can then budget accordingly!
UCC has great computer lab facilities with a hundreds of available computers, and open for long periods of the day, so chances are that you will find a computer!
But in the time of COVID-19 and the ever evolving nature of teaching and learning, laptops are a necessity for your time in University. The investment in a laptop or computer is an investment in yourself and your studies. Average costs of laptops come around €500.
UCC also has launched a laptop loan scheme under the Department of Higher and Further Education ICT laptop scheme. For further information please see our Laptop Scheme section.
