Twenty largest student debts revealed

“The biggest debt currently owed to the Student Loans Company is £66,150, the BBC has learned. A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the total sum of the 20 largest student debts is over £1m …” (more)

[Julia Ross, BBC News, 19 March]

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The right answer

“#pfg11 freebie for review of HE funding – just cog http://t.co/Vmqw5Z1. My students will do it for you … inc contingent loan is your answer” (tweet)

[Colm Harmon, Twitter, 7 March]

Poll: Students prefer loan scheme to FG’s graduate tax

“The majority of young people do not support Fine Gael’s proposals for a ‘graduate tax’ and instead favour a loan scheme to fund third level education. An Irish Examiner-Red C poll found more students would prefer to pay up-front fees than be burdened with extra taxes when they enter the workforce …” (more)

[Mary Regan, Irish Examiner, 21 February]

Motley: Jan Edition

“Madam, The December edition of Motley contained an article on 3rd level fees. In that article the Fine Gael party policy was misquoted by the author. The piece suggested that Fine Gael is in favour of a student loan funding mechanism for 3rd level, while insinuating that the party was also in favour of 3rd level fees at point of entry. These claims are both inaccurate and misleading …” (more)

[Scandalcentral’s Blog, 29 January]

Irish may apply for UK college loans from 2012

“Student loans the Republic studying, or intending to study, in English universities from 2012 will be able to apply for British government loans to pay for the higher tuition fees planned to come into force by then, it is understood …” (more)

[Mark Hennessy, Irish Times, 6 November]

Student loan protest at Stormont

“An SDLP assembly member is to hand over a petition at Stormont opposing plans to make graduates repay loans earlier and at a higher rate of interest …” (more)

[BBC News, 1 November]

NI graduates face higher interest on student loans

“Government proposals to ask all but the poorest graduates in England to pay a ‘market’ rate of interest on their student loans could affect students in NI …” (more)

[BBC News, 11 October]

Doctoral Students With Large Loans Finish Fastest

“Doctoral students who take out large loans complete their degrees more quickly than do students who have smaller loans or no loans, according to a recent study. One possible reason: The large loans free people from the need to take part-time jobs, which cut into time available for their graduate work …” (more)

[Mary Helen Miller, Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 February]

Universities ‘bail out students’

“Three-quarters of universities in England have had to bail out students with emergency funding because of delays to loans, suggests a BBC survey. Universities say continuing problems with the loans system have led to them spending their own cash on students …” (more)

[BBC News, 18 November]

Loans firm tightens debt recovery

“The firm responsible for managing the student finance system is tightening its procedures for recovering debt as it writes off nearly £29m. The Student Loans Company (SLC) has adopted new ways of tracking debtors’ work and income status and chasing European students returning home …” (more)

[Hannah Richardson, BBC News, 23 October]

Parents underestimate student debt by £15,000

“A poll of more than 500 parents found that almost two thirds (64%) are underestimating the level of debt teenagers will have, predicting it will total £5,000 or less. In reality those starting their studies now, could face debts of more than £20,000. The poll, commissioned by high street bank Abbey, found that parents are more aware of financial matters such as interest rates, with eight in ten correctly stating the current rate …” (more)

[Daily Telegraph, 26 September]

Charge students more, say bosses

“University students in the UK should pay more for their loans and accept higher tuition fees as ‘inevitable’, says a report from business leaders. The Confederation of British Industry says the extra money needed to fund universities should come from savings in the student support system …” (more)

[Sean Coughlan, BBC News, 20 September]

O’Keeffe warned of ‘loan scheme disaster’

“Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe was warned yesterday that an Australian-style student loans scheme would be a ‘disaster’ for Ireland. The advice came from the Education Officer with the Australian Union of Students Stefie Hinchy, and from the President of the National Union of Students in New Zealand Sophia Blair …” (more)

[John Walshe, Independent, 12 September]

Tens of thousands face student loans chaos

“Tens of thousands of students could start the academic year with no funding and unable to register at university because the loans company is in crisis and struggling to cope with a deluge of applications. Weeks before the start of term, 150,000 applications out of almost a million still have not been processed. Many students have no financial support in place and no way of knowing if and when their loans and grants will be awarded …” (more)

[Nicola Woolcock, Times, 12 September]

Student debt stories

“A survey has suggested that students starting university this year could end up with debts of £23,000 upon graduating. Two students who contacted the BBC News website share their experiences on the issue …” (more)

[BBC News, 18 August]

Science and maths teachers ‘should have student loans paid off’

“Science and maths graduates should have their student loans paid off by the Government if they choose to become teachers, an influential scientific society recommends. The Institute of Physics says that monthly student loan repayments could be scrapped as long as the graduate remains in teaching. And teenagers who take ‘hard’ A levels should be awarded more points per qualification for their university applications, according to the institute’s chief executive. A lower grade in physics should be given the same points for university entry as a higher grade in some other subjects, Dr Robert Kirby-Harris said …” (more)

[Nicola Woolcock, Times, 10 August]

Half of graduates ‘too poor to repay loans’

“Around 702,000 former students are unable to meet minimum repayments because they are failing to earn enough, it was disclosed. The number of graduates from England deferring loan payments increased by 160,000 in just a year. The rise was blamed on a dramatic shortage of decent jobs combined with the effects of the credit crunch …” (more)

[Graeme Paton, Daily Telegraph, 23 July]

Student loans deal is ‘best of a bad list’ say parents

“Parents have given cautious backing to plans for a student loans scheme to replace free college fees, describing it as the best of a bad list of options. Rose Tully, spokeswoman for the National Parents Council-Post Primary (NPC-PP) said while the organisation has no specific policy on the issue, it will be discussed at a meeting later this month. Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe is increasingly expected to recommend a system where the Government pays each student’s tuition costs up front and recoups most of the money in loan repayments after he or she begins earning a certain income …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 14 July]

Ryan support for student loan scheme

“The Minister for Communications has indicated his support for the return of third-level fees that would involve a loan scheme to students. Under the scheme, graduates would pay back a portion of their college fees once their income was above a set limit. Eamon Ryan said any new scheme should remain free at the point of entry, and should not discourage students from attending college …” (more)

[RTÉ News, 12 July]

College fees options emerge

“The long-awaited report setting out the options for the reintroduction of third-level fees was finally circulated to cabinet members last week – almost a year after it was first mooted by the education minister last August. Yesterday, it was revealed that a college loan plan – favoured by Batt O’Keeffe, the Minister for Education – would cost students a minimum of €21,000. The report suggests fees of €5,715 for arts and commerce and €7,272 for nursing and engineering …” (more)

[Martha Kearns, Sunday Business Post, 12 July]