You've been pushing them to the back of your mind but D-day has arrived. You've got the results letter/email. After 5 minutes of panic you eventually open it. Your worst fear is realized when you see that E, F or NG on the side of your transcript. Sadly it's happening to students all over the country. The worst part isn't always the failing but the enormous repeat fees that universities are charging students.
The Sunday Independent revealed this weekend that universities such as UCD are earning up to €1.8 million by charging students to resit exams. Trinity does not charge students to resit their exams. Each university can choose to set how much a student must pay.
The financial pressures students and their families are under to pay for accommodation, food and college books are added to the burden of paying to resit an exam. UCD charge a whopping €230 euros per exam and The University of Limerick (UL) charges €171 to resit an exam. University College Cork (UCC) charges, on average, €35 per repeat. Last year, figures revealed they took in over €211, 925 and €677,000 over the course of three years.
Deputy President Jack Leahy, of the Union of Students of Ireland (USI), said: "While they might be able to pass the exam on a second sitting, there are those who simply don't bother because they can't afford it," he said.
Do you think universities should have a national repeat charge or scrap it entirely? Should students be given the chance to repeat an exam at least once?
