Student loans will keep pathways to university open

As a student, I begrudge being asked for money I do not have. As a student, I am always being asked for this same money that I do not have. While I am not an advocate for tuition fees, I can see the arguments for them. Like most European countries after the recession, Ireland currently has a national deficit measured in hundreds of billions of euro, a third-level funding gap and several universities seeking investment to grow and improve.

Free education is a wonderful concept, but it is not realistic. I am not an economist, but I know that that money has to come from somewhere and which party, in the run-up to the General Election, is going to suggest increasing taxes to cover the cost? This raises the issue of who should be paying for third level education. The government does have some responsibility, but the burden will fall on students themselves. If fees are levied, then loans will be an inevitable and necessary accompaniment. Loans will keep the pathways to university open when fees restrict them, relieving the financial burden on students and their families.

In England, I went to a community high school with the knowledge that my fees would be covered should I choose to go to a UK university. I could also expect to have received extra money for maintenance – accommodation and living costs – that would be based on the income of my family.

A quick survey of my school peers is telling. They would not have been able to continue their studies to thirdlevel without the help of Student Finance. It is important to note that that is what the financial aid system is called: ‘Student Finance’. This is because it does not only give out loans but also distributes a huge amount of money in grants. The service also advises those from ‘non-traditional college-going backgrounds’ such as disabled students, student parents and those returning to college later in life. All are informed of the financial help available to them.

In post-recession society, we live with a fear of the word ‘debt’ that is not entirely unfounded. Yet, such terms have been used to demonise a system that ultimately does a lot of good. Loan repayments are associated with your earning potential after you finish your course. A graduate is not expected to pay a penny back until they earn more than £21,000 per year. The loan is paid back at 9 per cent of earnings.

The English system is far from perfect, but it is essential to ensuring people from all walks of life can continue to access the expensive but rewarding world of third level education. Fee rises are often cited as evidence of a broken system.

However, the removal of the cap on tuition fees in 2012 was heavily opposed and was the result of a unique political situation. A party in whom many students had put their trust failed to deliver on a manifesto promise to defend the cap. This is not symptomatic of the situation as a whole and negotiations surrounding fees are ongoing. For students, a system still exists where they can get the financial support to go to university in the first place.

Even after I chose to study here in Ireland, Student Finance were incessant in contacting me about an application I had made to study in the UK. While this initially seemed annoying to me, it became clear that I was lucky to be receiving regular and detailed correspondence at all.

SUSI is notorious for being difficult to contact  about changes in economic circumstance or failure to pay the grant. If there was a national system of loans and grants, closely regulated by the government and used by all students, it could be held to a higher standard of efficiency and transparency.

Moreover, universities receiving greater amounts of income would be even more accountable for the working conditions and salaries of their academic staff, as well as their commitment to growth and rising in the international rankings.

I cannot vote in the upcoming General Election here in Ireland, but I do know that the issue of student fees and loans will be a contentious issue during the campaign.

Alice MacPherson is a student at TCD