Thousands of guides to be distributed to students across Ireland to help them manage their money effectively, know their rights and settle into college life

The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) will launch a new Guide to Student Life today in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), National University of Galway (NUIG) and Institute of Technology, Carlow (IT Carlow) with support from the PRTB (Private Residential Tenancies Board).

This comprehensive guide that can fit in your back pocket is a useful resource for students and gives great tips and advice on student life. The guide covers accommodation advice, money management, personal safety and settling into college. Easy-to-use budget sheets and rent book logs are included, enabling students to keep weekly or monthly budgets that will help monitor their income and expenditure and keep a record of rent paid.

The Guide to Student Life will be available for download from the USI website and will be part of USI’s annual Freshers’ Pack in our member colleges from September.

Online version available here.

USI Deputy President and VP for Welfare Denise McCarthy, said:

“We are delighted to be launching the Guide to Student Life. This guide is an invaluable resource for students, especially first year students moving away from home for the first time. For all students, whether they are leaving home or not, they will see changes in their spending habits and they may need new financial products and services. This guide tells you what to look out for, the questions to ask, how to avoid getting into unmanageable debt and where to go if things go wrong.

USI aims to provide practical tips and advice on the wide range of topics covered in the guide.

College is full of new and exciting experiences but with all this excitement comes anxiety too. It is essential for students to be made aware of the various rights, support and responsibilities they now have”.

PRTB CEO Ann Marie Caulfield said:

“This is the second year that the PRTB has sponsored the USI to produce this booklet for students. It’s a very effective way for us to reach out to students, many of whom will be leaving home and renting for the first time.  We appreciate that they’re very young, many around 18 years old and thus it’s important that they are aware that they have legal rights. Equally, it’s important that they appreciate that they have legal responsibilities when they enter into a rental arrangement.

“Students and their parents should also not feel rushed into renting accommodation and should take time to research what accommodation best suits the student’s needs. We also encourage all prospective student renters to check out the PRTB Rent Index on www.prtb.ie which provides the actual rents being paid for a variety of properties adjacent to third level institutions.”

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For more information contact USI Communications & Research Executive Grainne O’Reilly on 087-6776636, or 01-9052100