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A FINE GAEL TD has called for students to be given the option to pay college fees in instalments, saying this would help to ease pressure on struggling families.
Alan Farrell said a monthly direct debit system would make the annual €2,250 college registration fee easier to manage. He added that a “reasonable and manageable payment process” would support the cause of open access to third-level education.
Many colleges currently offer a system under which parents can pay the fee in two instalments. But Farrell suggested a more regular direct debit system would help with recent fee increases. He said:
It is the middle income earners that do not qualify for this [student] grant who may struggle to come up with the money each year, particularly if there is more than one student in the household. Paying this fee on a monthly basis, as opposed to en bloc, will ease pressure on these families.
The Union of Students in Ireland this evening backed Farrell’s call. USI president Gary Redmond told TheJournal.ie that the union had lobbied hard for the two-instalment option, adding: “We’d welcome going a step further and allowing payments on a monthly basis.”
He said the beginning of the college year could be a “huge burden” for families. “We’re not just expecting families to come up with €2,250,” he said. “There’s also €400-500 for a deposit, the first month’s rent, and all the other costs of going back to college.”
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Finally a TD who comes up with a sensible idea. As for Burned Toast’s comment, well that’s to be expected from someone who obviously isn’t paying college fees at the moment. I am and my outstanding fees as of 2 hours ago are €2,540 to be paid by the end of May, otherwise I can’t graduate. UCC have allowed me to pay in installments last year and this year but the fact that I am unemployed means that I will need a minor miracle to get that money considering the current job situation. If I don’t pay I don’t graduate simple as that. I don’t get a grant as it is a part time course so every spare cent that I have has to go to paying my fees. I can’t get a loan as I’m unemployed and have no proof of income. This idea of slashing TD’s salary and expenses is populist but of no real use. There are 160,000 third level students in Ireland so if you halved all TD’s salary’s giving up €50,000 by 166 TD’s that works out at about €52 per student. It never ceases to amaze me that people thinking that slashing TD’s salary’s is going to solve this countries problems.
The one hope that I have is that I can work out a repayment schedule with UCC that will allow me to graduate and pay off my fees as and when I can. I don’t mind paying them as the lecturers, support and course materials provided are beyond excellent and provide more than value for money. I also didn’t mind when I was employed the fact that some of the tax that I was paying was going towards subsidizing third level education even though I didn’t get a grant then either. The people who are educated in our college’s go on to join the work force (when there were jobs) and pay tax themselves so really I was investing in the future.
If we all took Burned Toasts me fein attitude we would be woefully short of doctors, nurses, engineers, IT personnel etc. As for Burned Toasts comment that they should some how get value because they contribute to the State you seem to forget that a large majority of the people like my self who are unemployed have been paying tax and PRSI for years ( 20 in my case) so it’s not like we are relying on your charity thank you very much!
Is there no end to the genius of the back bench lobby fodder.
How about resigning or giving up half you salary say 50000 that would pay for 25 students for a year leaving you 50000 plus expenses to live on
So just because a TD suggested this idea, it’s not worth considering. Is that what you are saying? Despite the fact the even the USI would be in favour of such a proposal.
James, I believe John meant that while this TD gets upwards of €140,000 the students are still paying the same amount of money even with installments to sustain his expenses cause the money obviously isn’t going elsewhere.
Why can’t students get loans to fund their education? Other countries operate this way! Why not here?
Neil, do you think a student could afford €22,500 before extras which will help with getting jobs, cause that’s what I’m faced with. I’ll work alright but I will also have to live, where will i get the money for the fees since the banks aren’t lending as you well know, so where can I get this money, the flying pig?
I’m just hoping this thing is gone or reduced by the time i’m entering college but i doubt it’ll go that quickly.
Students are already too busy working to keep their cars on the road, cigarettes in their mouths and alcohol in their bloodstream. Perish the thought that they would have to work to put themselves through college and actually attend the lectures which the taxpayer so kindly pays for. If they had to pay what it actually costs they might turn up more, and choose something more useful than US Women’s History Studies.
Burned Toast, you clearly don’t know me. I don’t agree with beer or champagne(even non-alcoholic) or smokes, a bus would do me fine if it went from where I am to where I need to go but that won’t be the case so I’ll require a car. I’ll be doing my best to make sure i am attending every single lecture despite the fact one disability often makes me sick. I’m not doing that course, I’m doing a Masters in Computer Science and a Masters in Computer engineering as I’ve always being good on computers. I’ll work when there’s a job for me cause I hate having to rely on others and have always being as independent as possible in everything. I’m hoping this will be eased by the time I am in college, i don’t mind paying but once it’s achievable and is in a fair system.
I’m going to start saving now to get up some of the fees, I’m going to do my best to get a job soon even if it’s small like working at the till, i require the money when I finish my leaving certificate so I’ll work now to get it but i’m certainly going to have a hard time finding the money I require. Your logic is like you have being schooled in the Daíl.
Forget to mention i also have some savings already.
I know how to ease the financial pressure on your family…. hire your wife as your parliamentary assistant!
4 thumbs down? This parasitic TD is coming up with nonsense suggestions to ease the burden.
Try slashing TDs salary and expenses. Ban then from giving their spouses extremely well paid jobs without fair competition.
Every day now some politician goon gets him/herself in the media, must be an election on the way!!
So the colleges get paid in installments too then? Who pays to bridge the funding gap? Oh yeah, me and the other taxpayers. Stupid, populist nonsense.
Hmmm. Ever heard of managing cash-flow Mr Toast. It’s not as if colleges pay their staff 12 months up front.
Rather surprised this came from a TD. Wonder who’s been lobbying…
>implying all the costs of all the universities are paid in one lump sum in the September of every year
Only saying recently, we need to get ourselves more learnt in economics, politics and the like. Woeful iggorant is we…
id say ur tune would change quickly if u had two kids goin through college on a less than average wage. also id say ur tune would chnge further were u to become unemployed, which i pray for, its ignorant, holier than thou, self trumpeting mfs like yourself that have this country ruined. me and the rest of the tax payers you say, as if taxpayers are an elite band! every perso., student, parent, employed and unemployed alike pay tax on every good or service they use or buy. this taxpayer phrase is one of the real problems in ireland. you believe you,re above the unemployed, and above those with financial stress cause u ‘pay tax’ ie paye snd prsi. well guess what. so did i when i had a job! so do have a child to put through college? without the means to do it easily? i doubt it otherwise the stupid, ridiculous, contemptible nature of ur comment simply wouldnt be existent.
Don’t bust a blood vessel there Sean.
My basic point is that as a taxpayer, I am entitled to expect that my money is spent wisely, and not subsidising hair-brained schemes. As for whether being a taxpayer puts me above unemployed people, while I have every sympathy with them, social welfare in whatever form is paid by those taxpayers who actually contribute to the State. Does that make me more entitled to demand value for money in how this is disbursed? Hell yeah!
we all demad value but is there not a point at which people struggling must be helped? regardless of whether someone like yourself is unhappy about it? surely you can see the sense in struggling families being able to spread the cost? im out of work 13 months. i dunno how id manage putting someone through college even if the state paid the fees. i think its a fair solution. and judging by a lot of peoples opinions of your statements ur in the minority. also theres a solidarity issue. great you have a job but c 320000 of the 450000 on the live register are recently unemployed by no design of their own. a little empathy from those fortunate enough to be in work would be great. i apologise sincerely for my mf remark and any offensive element. it just strikes me that you may have a misled chip on your shoulder re unemployed, and particularly those working but really struggling.
I take your point Sean. No offence taken. We’re all big boys here.
A graduate pays 70% MORE tax than a non graduate in the long term!! Education is a public good, everyone benefits from it.
It’s still going to cost me about €22,500 to go to college either way while you fork out €140,000+ a year for showing up twice or three times a year.
Alan Farrell TD
Fine Gael
Chairperson, Internal Committee on Public Expenditure & Reform
He’s doing such a great job as chairperson of this committee we should take everything he says very very seriously.
Generally speaking, the tuition fees and student contribution should be raised further. It’d too cheap. Only nearly 6k!!! Should have been at least 8k per year.
But then, the government should adopt a Singapore model of education. You only pay back what you owe after your graduation and when you start working. Of course if you have the money you can pay in advance. But if you don’t, then no problem. You have the option of signing a bond to guarantee you paying back the fees after you graduate and when you start earning, and that in equal instalments. But there is a hick here…. After you graduate and when you start earning! This method would have been very beneficial to Ireland if there were jobs. The method also enormously reduce brain drain, which affects society’s development as a whole as well as the economy.
Look, adopt the Singapore model in some form but lower the fees and make some alterations, no politician paid €22,5000 for college so why should I? If they have to do something they should do it by leading by example. Maybe you don’t live in Ireland the average wage is €24,000-30,000 before tax and then you have high bills,rent, one of the highest VAT rates in Europe and are living in what floats from the 3-8th most expensive country in Europe so people simply don’t have the money unless it’s lowered and you can’t say ah sure pay when you can as their needs to be some guidance. If you got your way at €8,0000 per annum it would cost be €80,000 to complete college. Baring in mind all I’ve said before it’d take a long time to pay and no doubt they’ll hound me all the time for it, you need to look at the bigger picture. That’s why I require this system to at least eased the burden before I am going to college. I really do pity those in it at the moment, they’re paying for others mistakes. You may want to read my comments and the comment by Brian Ward.
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