Third level fees likely to go up in budget

[Tomas Mor]

Reports suggest that third level fees in form of increase in registration fees by several hundred,maybe up to as much as 3000 euro, may come in budget.This will hit struggling PAYE families most, and I wonder if the Greens and Mr. GoGo will stand for it.

[Inda Kenny]

This will also hit a lot of mature students who struggled to pay the fees this year especially those on the BTEA

[st3ph3n]

"Registration" fee my arse. This is the death of free 3rd level education without the government having the balls to admit it. This is free education in the same way that Trevor Sargent didn't lead the greens into government with FF.

[Tomas Mor]

"Registration" fee my arse. This is the death of free 3rd level education without the government having the balls to admit it. This is free education in the same way that Trevor Sargent didn't lead the greens into government with FF.

Of course it is, a Rose by any other Name.

[davehiggz]

I'm going to college next year This doesn't look good.

It's good to hear my parents tell me that they'll do whatever it takes to make sure we have the money but for many other families a doubling of registration fees could be the tipping point.

Fine Gael has consistently said that we should a graduate tax instead of fees at the door. They are a complete disincentive.

[Gemlarkin]

Why not a student loan scheme?

We need rationalisation of Third level

no point having many colleges covering the same course

Put the lectures on Utube

promote more distance learning

[Finbar10]

Was a bit shocked at some of the current fee levels. A relative of mine (who'd lost his job this year) went back to college in October to do a one year postgraduate course (in engineering). Qualifies for no grants. Fees he paid were around €7500 (including registration fee). I'm guessing this will be about €9000 same time next year. And it seems full fees for similar undergraduate courses would be close to these. That's pretty steep! I wonder where would €9000, if the registration fee goes up, rank compared to other European countries? Must be well up there towards the top? I'd hate to be putting two kids through college at the same time if the return of fees means these kind of costs. Sending children to study in other EU countries begins to sounds more attractive.

[wombat]

Was a bit shocked at some of the current fee levels. A relative of mine (who'd lost his job this year) went back to college in October to do a one year postgraduate course (in engineering). Qualifies for no grants. Fees he paid were around €7500 (including registration fee). .

Sounds like bad value - a course? what will he have to show at the end of the year - a Masters? or a Diploma or a Cert?

[Sierra]

The Union of Students Ireland has called for a mass march by students to protest against potential rises in registration fees this coming Wednesday.

[Finbar10]

Sounds like bad value - a course? what will he have to show at the end of the year - a Masters? or a Diploma or a Cert?

Yeah. Know what you mean. It's a masters. In same area as the job he had and the degree he originally got. So does make a certain kind of sense I guess.