Batt O'Keefe ready to propose college deferred loan scheme

PauricTheLodger

FROM NUI GALWAY STUDENTS' UNION:

The Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe is expected to recommend a deferred-loan system for students to cover the cost of their third-level education, bringing an end to fee-free college.

The new system is similar to that which operates in Australia.

Mr O'Keeffe says his proposals, which will be given to ministers this week for consideration, has been family-proofed.

A decision is not expected until September with a new student contribution system coming into effect in autumn of next year.

NUI Galway Students' Union are extremely disappointed to hear that Minister O'Keefe is preparing to end free third-level education in this country. We will work with the other Student Unions and USI to oppose this regressive move that will damage this country's chances of economic recovery for years to come.

lumpwood

'Family Proofed'...hardly. This was pretty inevitable really but its such a shame, so much for a smart economy. Smart but broke!

Squeeonline

Woohoo, more debt to saddle the people with.

Is there a country that has got university fees right? Could we not just copy a model that works?

Mallox

i tink dats a good idea actually ... at least we dont have to pay them now like ... in fairness the reintroduction of fees was inevitable ,, this is very fair in my opinion

christina_x

How exactly does this work? like, do we begin paying it back one we are employed or just once we graduate? I mean.. theres no garauntee of a job once we graduate..

rivalius13

Squeeonline wrote: »

Woohoo, more debt to saddle the people with.

Is there a country that has got university fees right? Could we not just copy a model that works?

America has the best Universities, why not copy theirs? But wait until next year when I graduate, ok?

irish_goat

christina_x wrote: »

How exactly does this work? like, do we begin paying it back one we are employed or just once we graduate? I mean.. theres no garauntee of a job once we graduate..

In the UK you get the loan then pay it back after you start earning £15,000. So if you don't get a job straight away you'll not have to start repaying it.

leeroybrown

lumpwood wrote: »

'Family Proofed'...hardly.

The real definition of family-proofed is "unlikely to cause mass outrage by heavily indebted parents".

Squeeonline wrote: »

Woohoo, more debt to saddle the people with.

It's worse than just fees. In my experience there tends not to be a middle ground in student loan situations. Someone who might typically leave college broke will now leave college far more heavily in debt that they would have managed if they had to pay the fees up front.

rivalius13 wrote: »

America has the best Universities, why not copy theirs? But wait until next year when I graduate, ok?

I wouldn't joke. Behind closed doors a lot of University senior management would like to see things go that way here as it has the potential to push a lot more money through their doors.

The Cool

rivalius13 wrote: »

America has the best Universities, why not copy theirs? But wait until next year when I graduate, ok?

Yeah, but the US is crazily expensive as regards 3rd level education. The cheapest you'll get is 5000$ a semester; prestigious universities like Yale cost around 50,000$. No thanks!!

the-island-man

If they do this we may still have a smart economy in the future but we certainly won't have a third level system that is open to everyone! With students having to pay more moeny they will certainly think twice before going for the course they really want and will think more about which 3rd level institution is the cheapest to go to!
We may still have a lot a people who are skilled but we won't have as many people that are passionate about what they do.

I just hope that if this goes ahead that in two years time when the general election comes around that all future, present and past 3rd level students remember what fianna fail and the greens did and especially what batt o'keefe did.

I also heard while listening to the radio today that in another country that implemented this kind of fee payment system people just got a job in another country and never came back to work there so that they wouldn't have to pay the hefty fee's.

rivalius13

The Cool wrote: »

Yeah, but the US is crazily expensive as regards 3rd level education. The cheapest you'll get is 5000$ a semester; prestigious universities like Yale cost around 50,000$. No thanks!!

Well, yea, it's expensive, which is why it's the best. Universities are a lot like cocaine in that sense.