'Ambitious' multi-million euro plan to reduce financial burden on students
-
Loading... - Ingrid Crecelius
- 04 May 2022
- 331 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Future budgets will increase the amount of public funding for the third level sector, and reduce the cost burden for students and their families, according to a new policy agreed by Government.
Under 'Funding the Future', the financial cost to students will be reduced "over time" through changes to both the student grant scheme and to student fees.
A core funding gap of €307m will be plugged through funding granted in addition to what is required to meet future demographic growth and new policy proposals.
While no timeframe has been set out during which this target will be met, a spokesperson for Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said his preference was that the shortfall would be addressed over the coming three years.
Mr Harris said the plan was "ambitious", but cost could not and should not be a barrier to accessing education.
"It is my firm intention to take the pressure off families and listen to the calls of our younger generations. Measures to reduce the cost of education through changes to the Student Grant Scheme and the student contribution will be on the table for the coming budgets," he said.
Mr Harris said the new policy settled the question on future funding of the sector and confirmed that any introduction of a student loan system was "off the table".
The proposal of a student loan system with higher student fees was one of three options put forward in a 2016 Government commissioned report on the future funding of the sector, known as the Cassells report.
While the universities sector favoured this option, the proposal was regarded as highly politically sensitive, and in recent years a number of education ministers, as well as other government leaders, publicly ruled it out.
Minister Harris said the planned investment of €307m, which would be in addition to the current €2bn annual spend on higher education, will focus on improving the quality of programmes, outcomes, and providing a third level education system which is accessible to everyone in society.
The minister also confirmed that he will chair a new oversight group to drive reforms.
The group will focus on creating a unified system and improving pathways between further and higher education. It will be co-chaired by Professor Tom Collins and Professor Anne Looney.
The Higher Education Reform Implementation Review Group will ensure investment is used effectively.
According to the minister, it will focus on improving the quality of programmes and learning outcomes with better verification of outcomes and costs to ensure value for money.
Over the last ten years, there has been a significant increase in the number of students attending further and higher education in Ireland.
In 2010, Ireland had 200,000 students enrolled in publicly funded higher education colleges.
By 2020, that had grown to 245,000. The Department of Further and Higher Education said that since 2016, public investment in the sector has grown by over 40%. Read More...
