Absence of College Student Affects Local Businesses by Brendan Morris

Absence of College Students Affects Local Businesses

When classrooms emptied and education migrated to Zoom, what became of the local economy dependent on students’ business?

by Brendan Morris

An Empty College Lecture Hall, Image Courtesy of Pixabay.

In these uncertain times, one thing is certain; somebody WILL begin a sentence with “In these uncertain times” at least once a week. But like all truisms, the benign acknowledgement of the unpredictability of the pandemic is justified, it’s a cliche for a reason. From commerce to education, the Coronavirus pandemic has launched every sector of our lives into chaos, but what remains uncertain is how lockdown initiatives impact the interconnectedness of our economy.

How did buses fare with the mass adoption of commuters now working from home? How did the chipper across from the pub deal take the vanishing of their midnight, kebab-hungry customers? But one specific type of institution commonly created a bedrock on which the immediate economy was founded, the world over; college students, and the businesses sustained by their presence.

In March of 2020, the world watched in awe as institution after institution shut its doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In an effort to contain the contagion, colleges and universities around the globe took advantage of new digital technology to teach their classes from their home office. However, it was not without its drawbacks.

The phrase ‘Zoom fatigue’ soon became a part of the college students vocabulary, as they expressed the exhaustion brought on by never-ending video calls. But our exhaustion of digital meetings didn’t hold a light to the vacancy created by the lack of students in the local economy.

The change in the practice of college from cafeteria chit chat to digitally-driven education was not felt just by the students.

The businesses located in the locality of third-level education institutions were now left with a vacancy in their account books. And

while some were able to adapt to the new COVID era, many businesses had no option, but to shut their doors permanently. This all begs the question: just how much does a student contribute to their local economy, and how reliable are those economies on student input?

In a model budget posted on their website, Technological University Dublin says the average student will spend about €7,600 after accommodation and utilities are paid annually. And according to the statistics on the Higher Education Authority (HEA) website, Dublin city enrollment in higher education saw figures of 87,000 in the pre-COVID era. From this, one can see that for foodstuffs, transport, socializing and more, students contribute roughly €661 million to the Dublin City economy.

Not only is the impact visible in account books, but it can also be seen in person in the shops. Walk into any corner shop offering chicken rolls as part of a lunchtime meal and you are certain to witness the sprawling masses of hoodie-wearing young scholars. Imagine the same scene without that youthful buzz, and you can start to understand the vacancy through the eyes of the business owners. Such is a sentiment upheld by Lewis of Noshington Cafe. Within the immediate vicinity of Griffith College Dublin, one of the areas most dependent on revenue from students is this local cafe. From getting a takeaway lunch to buying their caffeine fix, cafes have always been a magnet for students and lecturers. Lewis, the owner of Noshingtons Cafe on South Circular Road, confirmed that the absence of students significantly impacted his business’ bottom line:

“For us, students make a big impact. We are right in front of the college. For example, this week schools and colleges are closed, so I would say 1/3 of our customers won’t be in the cafe. There is a noticeable difference now that the students are back”.

Simple logic dictates that this observation is not limited to Dublin, but affects the cities across the country dependent on students.

In Galway for example, the student body occupies one-quarter of the city’s total population, according to the official National University of Ireland Galway website. Although there are no explicit statistics available discussing the value of these 20,000 scholars, if Dublin 87,000 results in €661 million brought into the economy, then Galway’s student population contributes €150 million to the city’s annual revenue.

Similarly in Limerick, it is estimated that the average student spends €907 a month in their local communities, as stated in a press release by the University of Limerick, welcoming in an addition of 2700 international students to the college, estimated to bring a boost of €19 million to the city’s businesses.

For us, students make a big impact.

Again seen in a college-centred town in Letterkenny, the local Letterkenny Institute of Technology students occupy 15% of the population, which is estimated to bring in €2 million to the Donegal urban sprawl.

The financial fallout of the necessitated student absence is a loss felt not alone in Ireland, but around the globe. In the United Kingdom for example, the student economic vacuum was estimated to have cost roughly £2.9 billion to the national economy. Goods and services such as groceries, socializing and transport suffered greatly with the absence of college attendees, according to research conducted by Studdee.com. The top affected urban environments were London, Cardiff and Birmingham, with the damage in the capital alone accumulating to £500 million.

As the world now begins to return to a state of pre-COVID normality, many businesses are now free to reopen their doors and once again welcome the chicken-roll hungry customers they haven’t seen in

18 months. From Noshingtons on South Circular Road to the pubs marketed to the attendees of Letterkenny IT, local business owners can let out a sigh of relief knowing they not only made it through an arduous 18 months of lockdown, but also survived the economic epidemic of the absent scholars.