TWO thirds of students in Co Donegal receive financial support - twice the level of their peers in Dublin.
New data on young people starting third level education reveals there is a strong disparity between different regions when it comes to awarding grants.
The study by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) has found 67 per cent of new entrants from Donegal are in receipt of a grant compared to just 35 per cent from Dublin.
The HEA said this reflects higher participation rates in education from Donegal as well as lower average incomes in the north west.
The highest proportion of new entrants in receipt of a grant (71 per cent) is in Letterkenny Institute of Technology compared to the lowest at 24 per cent in Trinity College Dublin.
Overall, 46 per cent of students get some form of state assistance. More than half (56 per cent) of new entrants in institutes of technology are in receipt of a grant compared to 36 per cent in universities and 41 per cent in other colleges.
This is the first time that a college by college breakdown of the student body by grant-holders has been published.
"Almost half of our undergraduate student population is now in receipt of a higher education grant and this support is essential for many of them to ensure that they can afford to keep themselves at college," said Tom Boland, HEA Chief Executive.
"All higher education institutions, in particular the Institutes of Technology, have played an important role in broadening access to education. This is reflected in the high numbers of students from less well-off backgrounds participating in the Institutes with the assistance of a student grant."
