Universities across the country have seen a sharp drop in revenue due to a fall off in the numbers of international students coming to Ireland during the pandemic.
However, many of those who chose to travel to Ireland say they are angry and frustrated that they are paying the same level of fees with no access to campus learning.
Walking the prom in Salthill is one of life's daily pleasures for people living locally, such as Avery Fenton from Minnesota, who is in her final year studying Earth and Ocean Sciences at NUI Galway.
Avery pays a tuition fee of just under €14,000 a year. Her rent is €500 a month, a considerable drop due to the fall off in demand.