“WHEN people are sleeping in cars and missing classes because the commute is too much, it’s a sign that the system is failing them.”
This was the sentiment coming from a new report from UL student Life which showed a whopping 97 per cent of commuter students say that travelling long distances to college negatively impacts their academic performance.
The student representative body at University of Limerick (UL) is backing data from a recent national Higher Education Survey (HEA) which found almost 40 per cent of students are now commuting from their family home.
The Commuter Survey Report: Understanding the Experiences of Commuter Students amid the Housing and Cost-of-Living Crisis is based on 1,035 UL student responses during the 2024/25 academic year.
Data shows that while students are primarily commuting from six counties across Munster, there are some who commute as far as Donegal to UL regularly.
According to the report, 60 per cent of student spend over one hour travelling one way, with some reporting journeys of up to 2.5 hours, while more than half spend over €40 per week on commuting, with many exceeding €100.
Students who drive, the report says, also face an additional €15 per week in parking charges.
Half of the respondents said that commuting makes socialising “very difficult”, with over 80 per cent calling for commuter-specific supports such as recorded lectures, flexible timetables, and dedicated commuter spaces.
Even students commuting from other parts of Limerick such as Annacotty, Castleconnell, Caherdavin, Corbally, and Limerick City reported journeys of up to two and a half hours, often requiring multiple bus connections.
Major complaints included “unreliable and overcrowded transport services, particularly on city routes, resulting in missed lectures and increased stress”.
One student shared that “commuting makes my life 100 per cent worse. It’s been detrimental to my mental health, my bank account, my academics, and my ability to function.”
Another healthcare student reported regularly needing to pull over due to exhaustion while driving home to Offaly after a 13-hour unpaid shift at University Hospital Limerick.
According to the report, UL does not have sufficient on-campus or near-campus accommodation to meet demand. As a result, students are being forced to commute long distances or live in overcrowded and poorly maintained housing.
In the case of the UL, the report points to capital funding restrictions imposed by the HEA as a key barrier to developing affordable student accommodation.
Dervla Ryan, Vice-President Diversity and Inclusion Officer at UL Student Life, said: “The message from students couldn’t be clearer: students have surpassed the point of crisis.”
“When people are sleeping in cars and missing classes because the commute is too much, it’s a sign that the system is failing them. This is not the student experience they signed up for.
“We need to work together and act now before even more students are pushed to breaking point. Students are paying the price for failures in housing policy and transport planning, and it is directly affecting who can access and succeed in higher education.”