Professor Emer Smyth:

We will make a joint statement. We are delighted to address the joint committee today. We wish to highlight a number of key issues emerging from our research on the potential barriers to cross-Border student mobility. Drawing on administrative data and stakeholder interviews, our study shows relatively low levels of undergraduate student mobility between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Those from Ireland make up only 2.4% of students in Northern Ireland, whereas students from Northern Ireland make up only 0.6% of students in Ireland. More students from Ireland go to study in the rest of the UK than in Northern Ireland. There is also a relatively large outflow of students from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK, reflecting the cap on the number of places in Northern Ireland and, therefore, high levels of competition. Our study shows that these patterns of student mobility are influenced by differences in higher education entry requirements, the cost of studying and the availability of places. A substantial proportion of applications to study elsewhere are for highly competitive medical-related courses, indicating the role of availability of places in driving mobility decisions.

Students from Northern Ireland can apply through the Central Applications Office, CAO, procedure. However, to date, applicants have needed to take four A-levels to get maximum points, and only a handful of students in Northern Ireland actually do so. In addition, the language requirement for many courses limits access for students from Northern Ireland, where smaller numbers take a foreign language at A-level or GCSE level compared with leaving certificate students. Only a minority of applicants from Northern Ireland or Britain make it all the way through to being offered and accepting a place in higher education institutions in Ireland, partly they are less likely than those from Ireland to meet minimum entry requirements. However, even when they are offered a place, those from Northern Ireland are less likely to accept that place. This may be because they are using it as a safety net in securing a high-demand course like medicine or because they receive the offer for Ireland later than for UK universities. Similarly, acceptance rates for UK universities are lower for Irish applicants than those from the UK.

The decision to study elsewhere reflects the complex interaction of tuition or registration fees, financial supports and other living costs. Students from Ireland generally face lower accommodation costs by moving elsewhere, although a significant proportion of students have no such costs as they live in the parental home. There is a strong case to re-examine the CAO points equivalencies for A-levels, as has been done by Universities Ireland and which will go the academic councils of universities this year, and to look at modern language requirements, given these operate as barriers to candidates from Northern Ireland.

School-based guidance could provide greater awareness of options in other jurisdictions, supported by ongoing outreach work by higher education institutions. Decisions about where to study take place for students against a broader backdrop of rising costs and access to different levels of financial supports. Current accommodation costs and a lack of housing availability are undoubtedly barriers to students moving from Northern Ireland or from the rest of the UK. While some financial supports are in place for students in both jurisdictions, there is a broader issue around the extent to which such supports cover the cost of participation.

Stakeholders point to the value of mobility for students themselves, for student diversity in higher education institutions and for enhancing cross-Border co-operation and understanding, highlighting the importance of addressing these barriers.

I thank the committee.