A loan system would be a disaster and has been in countries where its been implemented. It would lead to the creation of a debt generation and greater emigration of skilled workers in an attempt to avoid paying back their debts.

Where will the money come from? You could have started with the 2.25Billion that was paid to AIB Bondholders today. Debts which were incurred BEFORE the bank was even nationalised. Bloody joke.

a loan system would be terrible. firstly the banks probably don’t have the cash, secondly it will send out the message that education is expensive therefore putting up barriers to those in lower social economic areas, thirdly it suggests students are the only ones to benefit from 3rd level education, the fact is everyone does, its the main reason the high skilled tech pharma companies come here. also graduates generally earn more in their work lives and therefore pay high rates and more tax, so to end we already pay for it so a loan or grad tax is unfair. its not present students fault those before us had to pay loans back. also fair play to SUI for going further with this the changes were grossly unfair, and the grant system needs real reform not cuts for the sake of them

A complete and utter waste of USI subscribers’ money – if subscribers are indirectly paying part of the action, that is (strangely, though the USI seems to be ‘sponsoring’ or ‘supporting’ the case, we don’t even know that).

Mr Justice Hedigan, in the High Court said that the ‘perilous’ state of the national finances made such measures as reducing grants, etc, necessary.

Why do the USI/students expect the SC to overrule this?

Besides the absolutely massive cost of arguing a case before the highest court in the land, and the remotely thin likelihood that the case will succeed, couldn’t any citizen make the same ‘legitimate expectation’ argument that: we had a legitimate expectation that water charges would not be introduced; that a household charge would not be introduced, etc, etc.

Yet more proof that USI chooses to happily ignore the dicey state of the broader economy in favour of pushing their narrow government-must-fund everthing mantra.

Ah Boo Hoo, Some of us had to take out massive loans to put ourselves through college and weren’t lucky enough to avail of free fees and maintenance from the state!
The college grant scheme in this country badly needs to be overhauled a long time. All students, regardless of background, should be given equal access to loans by the state interest free which they can pay off over an agreed term when they graduate/drop out , similar to UK/US way, this would put all students on an equal footing and discourage people from enrolling in degree programs simply because its free! 3rd Level Education is a privelage, not a right!

I don’t know anyone who went in to collect a grant cheque, mainly because it makes no sense considering the dole would be wort more. also the state couldn’t afford to lend money to students at 0% because it would make the books look bad. also I see no reason why we cant have exchequer funding with a clause that says if you fail to complete a course for no liget reason such as transferring course or personal problems etc. then you pay a fine for every year you did. that way we don’t put more pressure and debt on the graduates who will pay though tax anyway and those very very small minority who do abuse the system for the “craic” will have to pay. also it won’t put people off because its still free at the point of access.

Will they ever learn. They lost in the High Court, they voted in the USI referendum (or whatever it was called) to keep full fees and now they want to bring an even more costly case to the Supreme Court. Is it really worth it? Who will be ordered to pay the costs? Though the High Court ruling seemed flakey, I do look forward to the judgement in this case.