Back to school costs continue to rise for parents and over a quarter (27%) of Irish parents are getting into debt to cover the costs of back to school. The average debt for parents to cover the costs of back to school has increased by €40 from €357 last year to €397 this year.
The findings were revealed in a new national survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions on back to school costs. The overall spend on school items in primary school is €1,123 and the spend on secondary schools is €1,467.
Marian McEnaney, CEO Carrickmacross Credit Union said the credit union is aware that covering the costs of back to school can be a big of the struggle for parents “We want to reassure parents in our community that the Credit Union is here to help, for anyone who needs help, be it with budgeting for the back-to-school spend, or taking out a loan to help cover the costs. We understand that these costs can be financial burden.”
“Our message to our members would be to come and talk to us in the credit union. If for example a parent opted to take a Carrickmacross Credit Union Back to School loan, the APR rate would be 10%*. Our loan is typically approved within 24 hours and there are no hidden transaction fees or charges. As always, we are happy to work with parents to structure repayments in a way that suits their individual circumstances. We are more than happy to assist anyone who might need a little extra financial assistance at back to school time.”
“We endeavour to meet parents financial needs and are here to lend a helping hand to cover the costs of back to school.” said Marian.
* For a €1,000, 1 year fixed interest rate loan with 12 monthly repayments of €87.92, an interest rate of 10%, a representative APR of 10.51%, the total amount payable by the member is €1,054.99. Information correct as at 13/08/2020.
Loans are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears. This may affect your credit rating which may limit your ability to access credit in the future.
Carrickmacross Credit Union Ltd. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
