Students & College Fees - Who Should Pay?

Lord Trollington · 03-06-2011 03:07PM #1

I see this whole issue is raring it's ugly head again.

The union of Students of Ireland said that "all hell will break loose" if they introduce fees for students in future.

So who should pay?

The country is broke to point that they cannot even sustain essential hospital services?

Should we be paying to put people through college,some of which wont make it past first year and are only there for the drink and a good time?

orourkeda · 03-06-2011 03:09PM

students should pay. preferably

ejmaztec · 03-06-2011 03:14PM

I think that the European Central Bank should pay for all third-level education throughout the EU, as it's in the EUs interest to have as many smart-arses as possible so that we can compete better with other economic power-houses of the world.

PrincessLola · 03-06-2011 03:15PM

Not this thread again :mad:

Look its a complicated question, ok. There is no doubt that the students/ parents should pay for their own education, but on the otherhand college graduates on average earn more and tend to go on to pay the most tax anyway so they do contribute more eventually, so its not exactly black and white.
For students of lower socio-economic backrounds there should be grants (and I think there are) but the key to get them into college is more then money, they need to be told they have evry right to go to third level as the middle class kids.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 03-06-2011 03:17PM

Subsidised is the way to go in my opinion. If they keep increasing the fees, which they have been doing ever since I have been in college, it will not be fair on those who cannot afford to pay for college. The access to further education should not be limited to those who have money. It will separate the gap between the rich and poor even further. That's not what we want.

brummytom · 03-06-2011 03:18PM

Personally, I think it's incredibly unfair that politicians who got through their university educations from taxes are now the ones making us pay up to £9k a year. It's just pricing the poorer out of a decent education.

jme2010 · 03-06-2011 03:18PM

orourkeda wrote: »

students should pay. preferably

How can a student possibly pay €1.5K themselves?

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 03:18PM

As a college student, I am struggling to pay for college. I have no part time job (which I've handed in CVs everywhere) and I am not getting any financial assistence from my parents.

What annoys me is that I am getting the bear minimum grant which is not enough to cover books and transport, there are people in my class that are getting the full grant that are failing subjects like I don't know what and their mommy and daddy tends to be some big sh!t with their own successful businesses.

I think those that can afford college should pay and those that aren't working very hard.

Gophur · 03-06-2011 03:22PM

You're 18 and want a mortgage? You get the mortgage and nobody but you is expected to pay for it.

You can get married, you can get a driving licence and be let loose on the road, and nobody but you is expected to pay for it.

Why then, if you want to go to college, is/are
1. Your parents expected to pay for it?
and
2. Your parents' income(s) taken into account if you are applying for financial assistance?

Why, in every aspect of life, is someone over 18 determined to be an individual, except when it comes to Third level fees?

melb · 03-06-2011 03:22PM

Students and parents. Bring in the loan system. Best solution for all.

jdooley28 · 03-06-2011 03:22PM

Right.

If peoples parents can pay and want to pay, then its mad not let them do so. This shouldn't exclude others from a third level education.

A student loan scheme is needed where students pay back money after they graduate or if they prefer they can pay fees up front that way everyone has a chance.

The amount of fees should be based on what exam results the student gets.

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 03:23PM

With a bloody job.[/QUOTE]

Where are these jobs you talk about? If qualified people can't get jobs do you honestly think unqualified students can?

Mickeroo · 03-06-2011 03:25PM

I've been shafted with fees in college the last 3 years and I don't get a grant of the back to education allowance. If someone genuinely can't afford the fees then they should be covered by the state on the other hand considering the extortionate fees people pay in other countries like the UK and US I think there is a little bit too much complaining from some quaters not to mention education is a luxury not a virtue so if the country can't afford to run itself why should it be given out for free.

Just to set the record straight, I'm against fees but I feel the issue is not as black and white as its made out to be sometimes.

whydoibother? · 03-06-2011 03:30PM

Let students pay for their education, but have proper student loan schemes in place, like other countries, where they don't have to start paying back until their earnings reach a certain level. In the current climate, going to private banks for loans is unreasonably risky, given that it is so unclear whether they will earn immediately on graduating or not.

Also, have clear divisions within universities on the cost of educating students v. the cost of research. Let them pay for themselves, but not research. Industry should pay for that. Industry benefits.

fabbydabby · 03-06-2011 03:38PM

At the moment, the fee is around what, 1,500? 2,000?

Instead of increasing this, why not just drastically reduce the number of college places to match the available budget and keep it cheap? And also stop paying for bollocks courses like women's studies. or whatever.

That means that poor kids who are smart will still get a college education, rich kids who are dense will have their parents pay for it because they won't make the cut and poor kids who are dense will remain in Texaco pumping my gas.

An overly simplistic yet brilliant solution.

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 03:42PM

If you want students to pay more for their education then the quality of lecturers badly need to be improved as the fee of 2000 at the mo is too much for the lack of quality education that is been given.

In addition, my college looks like a complete sh!t hole and doesn't even have heating in the winter months and classes are overcrowded.

Also as the likes of TCD, UCD and UCC like it to be known that the are the top universities in Ireland, I think it is unfair to ask students of ITs to pay the same as them when their degrees are not considered by industry to be equal

Mickeroo · 03-06-2011 03:45PM

mustang shelly wrote: »

Also as the likes of TCD, UCD and UCC like it to be known that the are the top universities in Ireland, I think it is unfair to ask students of ITs to pay the same as them when their degrees are not considered by industry to be equal

Pretty sure their fees are higher than IT's.

03-06-2011 03:50PM

melb wrote: »

Bring in the loan system. Best solution for all.

Graduating with the burden of a massive loan to pay of, great solution alright :rolleyes:

Schism · 03-06-2011 03:53PM

mustang shelly wrote: »

Where are these jobs you talk about? If qualified people can't get jobs do you honestly think unqualified students can?

Unqualified students are more likely to get what menial jobs there are available. From an employers point of view they're less likely to leave than someone with a degree who's going to jump ship the minute they get a job in their field.

Oranage2 · 03-06-2011 03:54PM

Now that i'm a recent graduate I think that student should pay - they have enough money to rent and get hammered every weekend they sure as hell can afford 3k.

I agree with a ong term loan situation -

say it cost students 3k a year in college - well when they graduate have them pay back the loan -

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 03:57PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

Pretty sure their fees are higher than IT's.

Sorry I thought I read somewhere that UCC anyway is the same cost as CIT.

I wouldn't mind paying fees if the Government could guarentee me that I would get the career I want with a good salary and promotional prospects after graduating but in reality I'm gonna have to find approx 15,000-20,000 to do a masters when I'm finished my degree and then either join the dole queue (which I really want to avoid) or leave the country

sock puppet · 03-06-2011 04:01PM

mustang shelly wrote: »

I wouldn't mind paying fees if the Government could guarentee me that I would get the career I want with a good salary and promotional prospects after graduating

Ah in fairness I'm a student and pretty much no one I know expects this. The opportunity to go and attain those things yes but there's no way to guarantee someone a good job.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 03-06-2011 04:02PM

fabbydabby wrote: »

That means that poor kids who are smart will still get a college education, rich kids who are dense will have their parents pay for it because they won't make the cut and poor kids who are dense will remain in Texaco pumping my gas.

An overly simplistic yet brilliant solution.

Keeping education in the hands of the rich? Yes thats just what the country needs.

mcjagger · 03-06-2011 04:06PM

i dunno, i think the universities are making alot of money from us taxpayers anyway whether students are graduating or not. seems like a pretty big waste if we're spending money on students who have to emigrate. theres no sense in that

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 04:07PM

sock puppet wrote: »

Ah in fairness I'm a student and pretty much no one I know expects this.

And my point being why pay more for something that is never gonna happen. Why should students be punished for the mistakes of our politicians and bankers? An increase in student fees needs to be justified and I am not seeing any reasonable explanations for why I should pay more when at the end of the day I will have a degree but no job to show for my hard work in college

Hank_Jones · 03-06-2011 04:09PM

fabbydabby wrote: »

At the moment, the fee is around what, 1,500? 2,000?

Instead of increasing this, why not just drastically reduce the number of college places to match the available budget and keep it cheap? And also stop paying for bollocks courses like women's studies. or whatever.

That means that poor kids who are smart will still get a college education, rich kids who are dense will have their parents pay for it because they won't make the cut and poor kids who are dense will remain in Texaco pumping my gas.

An overly simplistic yet brilliant solution.

This could actually be a solution.

I started college and thought that everyone would be like me and want to work hard and get on...that certainly wasn't how it worked out.
Large amount of wasters in college and a large number of them are probably getting grants.

Should filter out the dead wood, or else make courses so tough that anyone with less than half a brain will have to drop out soon enough.

Mr Benevolent · 03-06-2011 04:09PM

Loan system.

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 04:13PM

Hank_Jones wrote:

I started college and thought that everyone would be like me and want to work hard and get on...that certainly wasn't how it worked out.
Large amount of wasters in college and a large number of them are probably getting grants.

Should filter out the dead wood, or else make courses so tough that anyone with less than half a brain will have to drop out soon enough.

Finally someone talking sense and I would agree 100% with what you have posted

Tauriel · 03-06-2011 04:15PM

OSI wrote: »

The question isn't why should you be paying more, but why should the government be paying for you.

Because they are the people going on about how they want Ireland to become a knowledge economy. To show that they are serious they need to invest in what they have said otherwise we are never gonna get out of the mess they got us in

Hank_Jones · 03-06-2011 04:16PM

I get rather annoyed with this sort of stuff though....personally, I lost my job due to the economy.
I stayed off the dole in the hope of getting another job, got one, economy again, no job, went onto the dole.
Government says to retrain, no prospects in what I was doing previously, so why not, was getting irritated with the lack of opportunities anyway...

Go back to college and am then fcuked over again by the government.

I work and pay my college fees and struggle doing this.

Chuck Stone · 03-06-2011 04:39PM

1. There's no such thing as free.

2. Govenments do not have money - they get our money.

3. Universities do a lot of what I'd describe as 'hobby degrees' which are nothing but a waste of money and a way of giving people jobs in Universities - why should taxpayers fund this shite?

Examples:

Philosophy
History
Literature
Horticulture
Music
Art History
Communications
Dance (LOL)
Latin
Theater.

Cut the fat off universities and cut the salaries of €100,000+ PA lecturers who work 6 months a year.

Students & College Fees - Who Should Pay?

Who should pay for the students college fees? 209 votes

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