Dr Maria Hinfelaar, president of Limerick Institute of Technology
Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is to allocate €1.1m of its own cash towards helping students struggling in the face of grant delays and cutbacks. The move comes as the institute expects high numbers signing up to new courses in software development and creative multimedia, among others.
“LIT is very aware of the financial sacrifice associated with going to college,” said Dr Maria Hinfelaar, president of LIT.
“Financial hardship is often cited as one of the primary reasons for dropping out of college. To counteract this, last year LIT doubled its range of financial supports available to students who find themselves unable to meet their financial demands, allocating funding of €1.1m to support students who without this financial support would have struggled to remain in college,” Hinfelaar said.
In addition to financial support, LIT students can access a free student health unit and a student counselling service staffed by trained counsellors and psychologists. LIT also works closely with accommodation providers in the city to source the best value-for-money student accommodation.
In September, LIT revealed a €200m master plan to modernise its campus and provide economic stimulus to the entire mid-west region in Ireland between now and 2030. According to sources, the first phase of the programme, worth €20m up to 2015, has been 80pc funded from undisclosed donors.
