Funding mix best way to pay for college, say chiefs

A COMBINATION of top-up fees and student loans is the best way to fund third-level education and ensure social equality in the system, university presidents have claimed.

Their first contribution to the fees debate has come ahead of a long-awaited meeting with Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe today to discuss their concerns about Government funding, which they claim has fallen enough to threaten the financial stability of their colleges.

In a blunt assessment of suggestions that fees might be levied on families earning above a certain income level, the seven university chiefs warn that any such system would require significant work on means testing. The minister has sought advice on this question to address inequities in the previous fees system which allowed some categories of workers to avoid fees.