Student loans could be on the horizon as Bruton launches education report

A new report published later today will suggest different ways that the Government could deal with the current funding crisis in third level education.
One suggestion could see students given loans to cover fees of 5-thousand euro a year.
The Education Minister Richard Bruton will launch the latest effort later to tackle the funding crisis threatening Ireland’s third level sector.
An expert report drafted by Peter Cassells is expected to claim that higher education here is severely threatened by a funds shortage.
But today’s Irish Independent says Mr Cassells will also suggest ways to solve the problem.
His review is expected to come up with three possible ways that the crisis could be ended.
One, we could introduce a State-funded system with the scrapping of the 3-thousand Euro college fees.
Two, we could increase State-funding and continue with 3-thousand Euro fees.
Or, three we could have increased State-funding and a loans scheme.
This would get rid of up-front payments and introduce loans for fees of up to 5-thousand Euro annually.
The loans could be repaid by graduates once they hit a certain income level, but critics warn they could saddle former students with debts of 20-thousand Euro long-term.