Students could face a double hit in the upcoming budget with a cut to student grants and a hike in third level fees.

According to the Sunday Independent, the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn is under pressure to make cuts of up to 106 million euro in his department.

Cutting the student maintenance grant - which currently stands at just over three thousand euro - is believed to be one of a number of measures being considered with a rise in fees already on the cards.

Minister Quinn had proposed last month to introduce means testing for the payment but it's now understood this measure has been delayed due to costs, with a straight cut to be suffered by all students instead.

You can watch a video of students protesting against grant cuts below: