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Posted on 2009-05-18 in
Confusion over fees puts pressure on college hopefuls
College fees confusion

Confusion over fees puts pressure on college hopefuls

PARENTS have warned Leaving Certificate students could be left with just days to change their college course applications if Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announces the reintroduction of third level fees next month. The minister will not reveal his proposals until after the local and European elections which take place on June 5. But students who begin their exams two days earlier only have until July 1 to finalise their course lists with the Central Applications Office.

While Mr O'Keeffe has said any changes will not take effect before autumn 2010, they could apply to students starting courses later this year from their second year of higher education onward.

Jim Moore, president of the National Parents Council-Post Primary (NPC-PP), said it would be totally unfair to students and their families to make the changes so close to the CAO change-of-mind deadline.

"It would be absolute madness even to be trying to undertake it at this stage, when students and their families are now focusing on a very important stage of their education," he said. Almost 68,000 people have applied for entry to third level later this year, an estimated two-thirds of them will sit the Leaving Certificate next month.

The Institute of Guidance Counsellors has urged the minister to announce his proposals sooner rather than later.

Mr O'Keeffe has said any changes would take account of family incomes and would not impact on students already attending third level. It is expected the most likely type of system to be approved by Government would involve students repaying their tuition fees to the state after graduation.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Strategy Group set up by Mr O'Keeffe has sought submissions on the vision and objectives for third level education, asking stakeholders to submit the three most significant changes they want made and any barriers that could prevent those changes.

The minister has refused a request from the Oireachtas Education Committee to have third level funding and the fees issue considered instead by the strategy group, which is due to report back to him by the end of the year, claiming that it is a policy matter to be decided by Government.
 
 
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