The majority of students attending third level institutions will be financially supported by their parents spending an average of €447 each month, an Irish League of Credit Unions survey has found. Out of the 87% of parents who decide to support their children, 60% will be getting into debt to do so. All told, just under three quarters of parents polled said they would struggle to cover the cost of their child’s third level education. The average amount of debt parents will accrue is put at €4,300; on average, parents save for eight years to cover those costs for their children, and manage to accumulate €8,150 over that period. Employment prospects after graduation are the biggest concern for parents, with 32% saying this was what worried them the most.