STUDENTS CAN NOW earn a university degree outside the points system in what’s been described as one of the biggest changes to third level education in a generation.

From September, students will be able to enrol in 23 degree courses across healthcare, enterprise, ICT and creative sectors in a Further Education institution before progressing to a Higher Education institution to complete their fully accredited degree.

Speaking today on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris explained: “You can start a degree program in a College of Further Education, do a year or two there, and then automatically be guaranteed that you can complete the degree in a university.”

Harris said the “historic change” will have benefits for a range of people.

“This works for the student who might have made a great nurse but wasn’t good at rote learning and currently has to go to the UK to get the degree, we need to stop that,” said Harris.

“But it also works for the person who’s maybe a little older in life and wants to go back to college, but can’t pack the bags and head to the university in the big city for four years but could go to the local college.”

Minister Harris said the points system doesn’t work for many young people and added that it “caps the potential of too many people in terms of defining their future prospects around the points race”.

“Probably since God was a boy, you’ve heard politicians criticise the points race, the stress it puts on the students and their parents and their teachers,” Harris told Morning Ireland.

“It’s time to stop talking about it and do something.

“It’s only a start, it’s about 500 places, but it is an important start.

“So this is a pilot, and I hate that phrase, but it is phase one of having an additional entry point to a third level degree.”

Minister Harris also explained that fees for the course “will work on the same basis as they do now”.

“The student grants will work in the same way, you’ll have the same eligibility, and you will have access to the university facilities from day one,” added Harris.

The Further and Higher Education Minister thanked the National Tertiary Office, the Higher Education Authority and SOLAS for “leadership in driving this change forward”.

Information about the 23 courses will be delivered on a new National Tertiary Office (NTO) online portal from today.

Earlier this week, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) described the launch of the pilot project as “premature” and added that grievances had not been fully addressed or resolved.

However, in a further statement yesterday, the TUI said it had been given assurances by Minister Harris following “intensive engagement”.

“The Minister has also agreed that there will be an ongoing process of meaningful consultation and engagement about outstanding or emerging matters related to the introduction of the pilot project,” said TUI general secretary Michael Gillespie.

Minister Harris told Morning Ireland: “I had a very good meeting with TUI members yesterday and they are right, this is probably one of the biggest changes we’ve seen in third level education in a generation.

“They’re right to be asking questions, I provided assurances yesterday to them in relation to terms and conditions.

“We will continue to engage with them and I thank them for their support and work.”