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THE BODY representing Ireland’s college students have expressed fears that education minister Ruairí Quinn is developing a “two-tiered” system of university education, after the minister gave his endorsement to a new private loan scheme for postgraduate students.
Quinn has backed a new commercial offering from Bank of Ireland, under which participating students will have the bank pay their tuition fees directly for the duration of their studies.
The loan scheme will also see students who had previously qualified for maintenance grants – which have been removed entirely for post-graduate students from this year onward – receive up to €2,000 in loans which will be paid directly to the student.
Repayments under the scheme will be interest-only until three months after the student graduates, with capital repayments thereafter at a variable annual interest rate of 10.8 per cent.
Quinn welcomed Bank of Ireland’s initiative this morning, saying officials in his Department had “worked closely with the bank and the NTMA on this loan scheme”.
The minister said he hoped students “who were concerned about meeting the costs of post graduate studies will now be able to access these loans”.
The Union of Students in Ireland, however, was critical of the scheme – raising fears that most students would not qualify for the loans as it would be their own credit history, and not that of their parents, which was being taken into account when loan applications were being decided.
Because many students made heavy used of overdrafts or credit cards while they were in an undergraduate programme, it said, only students who were already relatively well-off would qualify for any loans – which it fears will become a long-term alternative to central government funding.
“Last year, Minister Quinn made it all but impossible for thousands of Irish students to attain a postgraduate qualification when he removed the postgraduate maintenance grant,” USI president John Logue said.
“This is patently a scheme that will only help students who are already in a comfortable financial state,” he added.
“Any students with a poor credit history, those who have the most acute need for a maintenance grant, will be denied a loan and thus denied the opoortunity to study at a postgraduate level.”
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Hasn’t she been through enough!?
@Brian Guilfoyle: joe biden?
There’s a headline I didn’t think I’d see today
@LFCMAD_94:here’s a headline you’ll NEVER see ‘ Jedward quarantining with Oscar winner Tara Reid in L.A.’
@Wayne Connor: Oscar winner?!
@jl: did you not get the sarcasm ?
@Wayne Connor: ”grammy award winning” Jedward. Now that’s one you’ll never see
They got Jedward we got Matt Damon. I’ll take that.
God help her.
@Charles Alexander: God help her boyfriend!!!
@DeeM: patience of a saint.
@DeeM: I wouldn’t say he’s too worried
Sorry, but why is this news??
@Ciarán O’ Donoghue: It proves that no matter how bad you think things are, they could always be so much worse. Let’s bow our heads in silent gratitude.
That’s a horror movie premise
I don’t know who to feel more sorry for her or them either way I can only imagine I’d rather have covid than be stuck with them
“Siri, how can the covid19 emergency get even worse?”
@Dermot Quinn: Knock, Knock… “Wohooo…Yeaaahhh….It’s us, Jedward………. Grab our suitcases, will ya! “
Donald Trump should make them citizens so they can stay there permanently. Ireland won’t miss them
@Just Some Guy: just so you know, even if he did, it won’t mean that couldn’t travel back here.
I predict the Ray D’Arcy Show will be all over this story in the coming weeks.
@KilkennyProud: let’s hope Darcy goes over to interview them & then stays there.
The universe is great. I love this.
John and Edward have been friends with Tara for 8 years and have been on holiday together many times.
I’d say they’ll have to pay for their own holidays in future.
@KilkennyProud: they pay for their own holidays now!
Poor Tara Reid will need lots of therapy after those two…
@Damien: ive a feeling they’d be more into her fella
Its good to know they’re together and working on future projects together at this time. They have such a lovely, genuine friendship, something that’s always nice to see.
Jedward are still alive?
What?!? Wait….. What?
I think the media write these stories to make us all feel better about ourselves during the pandemic. No matter how bad you have it, it could be worse, you could be holed up in a small apartment with Jedward.
The Journal will call any old rubbish news
@Dennis Farrelly: The Journal calls any old rubbish news. There ya go, fixed it.
Ok so I “stumped up” to support the journal as it’s my go to for news every single day. This isn’t news nor a newsworthy story.
@Thomas Meaney: sucker
I’d rather live with two Chinese bats
Slow news day obviously.
Have some folk never heard of ‘if you got nothing good to say …… say nothing”.
Have refugees from Liveline fetched up here?
And here I’m trying to keep my sanity. After reading this, I’m grand, no problems…
Thought you’d got rid of The Daily Edge?
Don’t let them know when the lockdown is over, leave them quarantined.
That poor girl, she must have been a horrible person in a previous life to deserve this.
Who cares. Has the JOURNAL not got better news to report
I love Edward
@Chris Marsh: Which one is she?
Are they still around
Jaysus imagine the state of their hair after 10 weeks of lockdown! Thought I was bad, feel better now!
Ah poor Tara Reid what did she do to deserve that my heart goes out to her. Being driven mad by two headcases from lucan
When Jedward were at the height of it the majority of Lucan started to use the clondalkin post code as thier home address. The trend has only recently been reversed
Do they know the difference between jam and marmalade
She probably kidnapped herself…
Why did you delete my comment Conor? They are gob$#!+€$
Who Care’sssssssss.
Who actually cares about this pair of talentless people
Poor Tara
3 nobodies. Who really cares what they do?
Does anybody really give a flying f**k??
Wonder if they will be Deported if they OVERSTAY the 90 day visa,,,
That poor woman
have your say