Greens Vote to Reject Fees

At the Green Party conference held at the weekend the Green Party rejected a motion that would support the re-introduction of fees with an indexed linked grant system and decided to support the motion calling for the Greens to reject the possible return of tuition fees. This reaffirms their pre election promises that third level fees was not going to have Green Party support.

According to Saturdays Indo, an apparent cabinet clash was on the cards over college fees. The Greens have insisted there is nothing in the agreed Programme for Government on bringing back fees, despite former Education Minister Mary Hanafin recently conceding that third level fees were now “firmly back on the agenda”. And to top the weekend off, Paul Gogarty has stepped down from his position as the Green Party education spokesman.

Fees are due before the cabinet in early April, it is allegedly going to be a single recommendation, with all indications that the Australian system is still being considered as a template.

It is time to rally as an organisation and as a group to state that we will not accept the re-introduction of college fees. Over the next few weeks, USI and local Student Unions will have to ensure our message reaches as many people as possible.

Education is the key to success. Our press maintains a slow and sustained push towards college fees by indicating that the fees are inevitable. I reject this wholeheartedly. USI has a seat on the new national strategy group for the sector and any decision brought about fees would completely undermine the group.

To finish - here are some interesting numbers and quotes about fees and fee related issues from around the globe:

Ireland, which as of 1996 no longer charges tuition fees, requires non-EU students to pay up to EUR 36,000 p.a., the highest in Europe.

In Australia, the average student finishes university with a $12,000 debt, which takes about a decade to repay, however the wealthy students who can afford to pay off the price of the cost of their course prior to starting it get a 20% reduction on the price.

In the UK, more than 59,000 students are in arrears in repaying their student loans, with bad debts standing at £162.5 million. Another 58,000 are behind with their repayments and are in danger of being considered a credit risk if they slip any further into arrears. 75% of students who default on their loans have dropped out of college and not completed their degree. More than half (53%) of students from families who work in manual jobs or are on benefits chose their university because it was close to home, as the costs associated with third level are too high.

In the US, numbers taking courses in sciences and engineering have nosedived due to the associated higher cost of these courses, leaving Richard W. Lariviere, provost and executive vice chancellor for the University of Kansas to state “We are seeing at this point purely anecdotal evidence. The price sensitivity of poor students is causing them to forgo majoring, for example, in business or engineering, and rather sticking with something like history.”

48. Placing of University of Copenhagen on 2008 THE-QS Worlds Top Universities list. €0. Price for Danish to attend the University. Ranked ahead of renowned and fee paying institutes like the University of Aukland, London School of Economics, Darthmouth College and the Universities of Washington and California.

55%. The rise in pay for Irish University presidents granted in 2007.