President Michael D Higgins will be in Ballinasloe next week to attend the annual congress of the Union of Students in Ireland

The three day event in the Carlton Shearwater Hotel opens on Monday and President Higgins, who was president of UCG students union in 1964, will address the gathering on Wednesday.

The contentious issue of fees will be the main topic and members will be balloted on whether they think it's time for students to pay their own way through college.

Attendees will be asked to consider whether the exchequer should continue to foot the bill for third level education, or whether alternative funding models used in other countries would be more appropriate into the future.

In advance of the USI congress NUI Galway student union president Emmett Connolly says although times are tough, free fees are important to make sure everyone has a chance to go to college.