Grants system failing students

Seán Ó Sé
UCC Sinn Féin
Martin Hurson Cumann

There are several problems with the grants system that Ógra Shinn Féin feel need to be addressed in order for education to become readily available to young people from every group in Irish society. Immediate and proper funding is required to allow students to avail of the many diverse courses and subject available to them in the third level system. However a remedy is needed to fix the many problems that have been encountered when it comes to funding available to students.




















Thomas Davis’s much quoted phrase ‘Educate that you may be free’ is still true today. It is through education that people can be lifted from the grasps of poverty. Many third level students will encounter financial hardship during their academic career. This is often through no fault of the student. Without the financial backing from either family or part time employment it is almost impossible for students from a working class background to achieve their goals. Poverty is a quicksand that sucks down the weak and marginalized.
There is a grant system that lessens the burden of some students. However the average grant for the year comes to €3,420 while student accommodation can cost up to €5,500 per annum. In order for many students to attend third level they must either travel or find accommodation close to their place of study. On top of this books must be bought and other costs must be met. According to research carried out by Bank of Ireland it costs over €42,000 to complete a third level degree. There is a clear disparity between the cost of education and the assistance that is provided by the state.

However not only is there a problem with the levels of funding that students receive but many students do not receive their grants until well into the academic year. Some students have been forced to camp outside their respective council offices as it is their only hope that their grant application will be processed in time to allow them to pursue their studies. This is a problem that needs to be fixed immediately as many students cannot afford to wait. Students should not have to wait until February for a grant they were due to receive the previous September.

If we are really serious about ridding our society of poverty then we must make education a priority. In order to cherish all our children equally it is essential that we provide them with the same opportunities. Education can be the bridge that narrows the ever growing divide between rich and poor in Ireland. Ógra Shinn Féin believes that every young person in Ireland has not only the right to receive an education but also the right to make that education possible. Without a proper functioning grants system it is likely that many young people will fall by the wayside.