News

Irish students paying second-highest fees in Europe

The UK charges third-level students the highest fees in Europe coming in at just over €10,000 per year

 

Irish students are paying the second-highest fees for third level education in Europe, according to report published by the European Commission.

The report, which compares the college fees in 42 European education systems, found that only the United Kingdom (UK)

News

Trinity economist predicts cost of student loan scheme to be €10 billion over first 12 years

The claims made by Dr. Charles Larkin were based off analysis of the Cassells Report

Dr Charles Larkin, a Trinity Economics lecturer and research associate, has warned that the student loan scheme proposed in the Cassells Report could cost €10 billion over 12 years. Dr Larkin said Ireland’s higher education system is neither small enough …

News

TCDSU Council votes to support free third level education

Motion mandates support for “tax-payer funded, free education for all”

NEWS

Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) Council has voted this evening to strengthen its stance on fees and loans in a motion put forward by the Students Against Fees (SAF) group. TCDSU is now mandated to campaign for a publicly-funded

News

TCDSU Council to vote on motion supporting free third level education

Motion mandates support for “tax-payer funded, free education for all”

NEWS

Trinity College Dublin Students Union (TCDSU) is to debate and vote on a Students Against Fees (SAF) motion at TCDSU Council on Tuesday January 24, which calls for a strengthening of the Union’s stance on fees and loans, and explicitly

News

Funding shortages could affect quality of Irish graduates

Rising student numbers and cuts to public funding could produce graduates not up to standard, warns HEA

NEWS

The Higher Education Authority’s (HEA) annual performance report for 2014-2016 shows that Irish institutions have expanded to include an extra 15,000 students. Meanwhile, staff-student ratios are significantly deteriorating, compared to the average in developed countries, rising from 1:16 to 1:20.…

News

Students Against Fees formalise structure & plan future actions

During their meeting, Students Against Fees elected a formal committee and voted to begin preparations for a protest action in the near future.

NEWS

At a meeting this evening, Students Against Fees outlined their plans for the near future and moved to a more formal structure. The meeting, titled “How we can win in our fight for free education”, was attended by around 20 …

Comment

HEAD TO HEAD: Student Loans

Rory O’Sullivan and Elisabeth O’Higgins go head to head on the introduction of student loans

COMMENT

For Student Loans ~ Rory O’Sullivan

“It’s popular in certain circles to say otherwise, but free university fees in a country like Ireland would be a terrible idea, just as they have been in Scotland.”

There is a hole in …

News

University heads support introduction of student loan scheme

Institutes of Technology said the scheme may be suitable for honours degree courses

NEWS

Heads of Irish universities have expressed their support for the introduction of a student loan scheme to tackle the funding crisis in higher education at the Oireachtas Education Committee discussions yesterday,

However, representatives from Institutes of Technology (ITs) argued there

Comment

Budget: Minority government offers short-term solutions for long-term problems

While student housing and higher education funding were addressed in today’s budget, the government declined to offer any major policy initiative to really tackle these problems.

COMMENT

Having digested today’s budget, one can’t escape the underlying feeling that it provides short term solutions to long term problems. The government today showed a reluctance to commit to particular approach to student housing, and higher education funding. While this

News

Budget: Government announces 36.5m increase in third level funding

No increase in student contribution fees

NEWS

The government has announced a €36.5 million increase for third level education funding. The increase was announced by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, during his budget speech earlier today. He called the increase the “first significant investment” …