More than half of 1,005 Trinity students polled over a two-day period stated that they would support an increase in taxes in order to achieve free fees for higher education.
In a poll conducted by The University Times, 52.4 per cent of students came out in support of higher taxation to remove fees for students, while 18.2 per cent said they would not support such an increase. Just 29.4 per cent of those polled said they might or might not support such an increase.
The poll also saw 137 respondents not give any answer to this question. This figure represents 13.6 per cent of the total polled students. The poll reveals a significant proportion of students declining to express an opinion on the question of higher education funding.
The news comes as the Oireachtas Education and Skills Committee is currently discussing the recommendations of the Report of the Expert Group on the Future Funding of Higher Education, commonly referred to as the Cassells report. The report outlines three potential models for higher education. One model would see the continuation of the current student contribution charge of €3,000, while another would introduce income-contingent loans which would be repaid by graduates after completing their education. The last of these would see higher education funded from general taxation with no charge to students.
However, the report insisted that no matter what model of funding comes about, the government will need to invest significantly in the sector.
The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, announced earlier this month that whichever new funding model is selected by the committee will be implemented in the budget for 2018, as part of the government’s Action Plan for Education 2017.
The results of the poll see the majority of students continuing their support for the lobbying of Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) in favour of free fees. Indeed, large numbers of Trinity students turned out to support the March for Education in October of last year. In January, a meeting of TCDSU’s council voted to mandate the union to formally support an exchequer-funded higher education system, and to adopt a position against fees and income-contingent loan schemes.
