Is there any chance of a loan scheme being introduced to replace fees? Recommendations to introduce an income-contingent loan scheme for higher education – outlined as one of a number of options in the Cassells report – are dead in the water, awaiting a decent burial. Ireland currently has the second-highest fees – in the form of a €3,000 registration charge or fees of €8-€10,000 at postgrad level – for higher education in the EU. Prior to the publication of Cassells, it was generally accepted that a loan scheme would be the preferred political response. In the absence of a major increase in State funding, many colleges are looking to international students to generate extra funds.

Source: The Irish Times May 21, 2018 23:01 UTC