Comments on: “No Minister will enter UL unimpeded”

By: DALKEYDAVID

DALKEYDAVID — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:32:28 +0000

THESE PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS ARE!

By: DALKEYDAVID

DALKEYDAVID — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:31:44 +0000

KIDS TODAY HAVE FAR TOO MUCH WHEN I WAS LEAVING SCHOOL A SCOOTER WAS UNHEARD OF AND THIS WAS THE LATE 1990′S,NOT TO MENTION A CAR FOR THAT MATTER..IT IS BLATANTLY OBVIOUS THESE COLLEGE KIDS CAN WELL AFFORD,IN ORDER FOR ME TO OBTAIN ANY EDUCATION IT WAS VERY SELF DRIVEN I GOT NO HAND OUTS OR FREE CARS LOANS OR STUDENT PERKS FOR THAT MATTER!IF YOU CAN AFFORD SUCH A PRESTIGEOUS COLLEGE LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK..A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS READING AN ARTICLE IN THE IRISH INDEPENDANT ABOUT A FEW UNIVERSITY KIDS IN DUBLIN PISSING ALL OVER A BUS AND CAUSING FIGHTS!!

By: Luke

Luke — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:56:52 +0000

wanderingsodacake, wasn’t at you for the car.

Mature student’s should get the grants and more funding needs to be made available for mature students. Offering opportunity to people who can’t afford college is what it all should be about.

If the grant system worked correctly people who can’t afford to go to college could go, as people on the grant will have free education. And those who can afford should pay, but only if a very low (almost 0% APR) gov backed student loan is offered where the loan can be payed back over their working life.

For a third level qualification of four years the most the loan for the fees would be at most €20,000, spread over at least a 40 year working life. Currently our taxes are going up 1%, VAT by 0.5%, if agreement about 3rd level fees isn’t met we could higher taxes to pay for a broken system. And thus end up paying more in taxes per year than €500 student loan.

Anyway I think I’ve been hogging this blog a bit too much, match is about to start too.

By: Luke

Luke — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:29:43 +0000

The SU can’t keep saying “NO FEES”, they need to meet somewhere in the middle and have some solutions. Otherwise the gov will blast through fees without thinking of students. We need a good workable loan system and reform of the grant system.

The new registration fees this year are crazy expensive for any family, especially if they have more than one student in the family. How many families are taking out personal loans at 9+% APR to cover the expense of four years.

Quick Question: Currently what happens if a parent is made redundant during the year and thus earnings drop below grant threshold, can they apply for a grant mid-year to support their child through college?

Sean, wasn’t, just I remember that at the No Fees campaigns in college it was always about the opposition parties slating everything about the gov, and nothing actually about the issues.

By: wanderingsodacake

wanderingsodacake — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:36:22 +0000

Luke,
I work 3 twelve hour shifts while I was in college to be able to afford that 2k piece of shit. Thats mon to thur in UL the fri-sun in a factory. That car brought 4 guys every day accross town. Saved everyone a nice bit on public transport. Not to mention having to use that rubbish. So no. This is not an argument for having fees returned. It is closer to the direct opposite. However, I think the means test can be readjusted. There are too many people who are genuinely wealthy enough to pay fees and have plenty of money for living. I would never have gone through the door of a college had I to pay fees. Just couldn’t have afforded it.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:19:36 +0000

@Ed: totally right. The quality of irish graduates is pretty low and as a student myself, it seems like half the people around me are in for the free ride. What do you do after secondary school? You go to college. That’s just what you do — what everyone does.

People don’t pick the right course and don’t give it the thought they should because it’s free, and then you end up with a whole ton of students who don’t like what they’re doing. The only part of college they enjoy is the “social life”, which might involve wheelie bins and certainly involves vodka and Red Bull.

By: Terran

Terran — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:50:52 +0000

I absolutely do not support these actions. The Students Union actively suppresses views that go against their opinions. There is a substantial minority of students who support the introduction of fees, and we are never heard.

By: Seán

Seán — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:57:49 +0000

Luke you might want to put away your civics books and just remember you’re not the smartest.

By: Squid

Squid — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:48:14 +0000

Last year’s ULSU president was quite good. don’t know much about the incumbent guy though

By: Luke

Luke — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:34:29 +0000

Seán, Cowan was elected by his party members, that is the system we have in Ireland. We the people don’t vote for the Taoiseach, we vote for the party in your area. This isn’t the USA.

Also I remember a few years back when a ULSU president won because his name was the only one in the hat, not elected.