Student contribution fee of €2,000 a 'Pearl Harbour' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 08 December 2010
EDUCATION: STUDENTS WILL be liable for a new fee of €2,000 from next September, an increase of 33 per cent.
The new student contribution fee replaces the registration charge. Second and subsequent siblings will pay €1,500.
New arrangements where students can pay 50 per cent of the new fee in September and the balance in January are being examined by the colleges.
Last night, Gary Redmond, president of the Union of Students in Ireland labelled the Budget the “Pearl Harbour of Irish education”.
The Government’s decision to increase college fees was a retrograde step for Irish education, which will, he said, deny thousands of students access to a third-level education.
Overall, the cuts in the education budget are relatively modest, with a reduction of 2 per cent in the overall allocation of close to €9 billion.
Full Story: www.irishtimes.com
