USI condemns rumoured govt plan to end post-grad grants

The Union of Students in Ireland has said any plans by the Government to scrap grants for post-graduate students would be counter-productive.

It comes after reports in today's Sunday Business Post suggest that - from next year - the government will not pay post graduate course fees or maintenance grants.

It is also believed that this proposal, being hammered out ahead of Budget Day on December 6, is causing much unrest amongst backbench Labour TDs.

President of the Union of Students in Ireland Gary Redmond said: "By making students pay their own fees (for post-graduate study), we're really opening ourselves up for a huge issue down the line…

"The only way Ireland is going to get ourselves out of the economic mess that we're in and attract the next generation of foreign direct investment is by up-skilling our workforce."