NUIG to hire debt collector to pursue unpaid student fees

By Dara Bradley

NUI Galway is planning to hire debt collectors to recoup unpaid fees from hard-pressed students.

The decision by NUIG to follow in the footsteps of three other Irish universities and hire a private company to pressure students for fees will be greeted with dread among the less well-off student population on the Newcastle campus. The university has insisted however the company that successfully tenders for the job will deal with students in the “most sensitive way possible”.

Despite the change, which could have a huge impact on the lives of its members, NUI Galway Students’ Union President Paul Curley yesterday declined to comment on the matter.

He said the NUIG SU had nothing to say about the issue at this time. The university’s Fees Office traditionally would be charged with collecting fees, but NUI Galway has now turned to the private sector to chase students’ debts.

The university explained that due to increases in third level contribution fees imposed by Government, students are becoming more indebted.

The “new phenomenon” of student debt means that more students are not paying fees and it is becoming more time consuming to chase unpaid fees.

In a statement, NUIG said: “The selected service provider will initially be required to undertake collection of aged debts.  It is critically important to the university that such processes are to be carried out with the utmost tact and discretion.”

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.