Private College Student Wins Maintenance Grant

EdgarAllenPoo

Heard about this on newstalk yetersday morning but couldn't find anything in the papers until today. As a GCD student I say it's about bloody time, we're not all stinking rich.

From Unison.ie

The Department of Education and Science has agreed to pay a student in a private college a higher education maintenance grant but only after it failed to buy his silence.

The agreement opens the way for other students in the private sector to obtain maintenance awards from the State. They will still, however, have to pay tuition fees.

It was reached shortly before a High Court test case taken by Griffith College Dublin student Mark Kane, whose mother is disabled and whose father is a stay-at-home carer.

They survive on a disability allowance and on a carer's allowance.

Mark has been working part-time for the past three years to support himself and his family.

Under existing rules, students attending private colleges are not eligible for either fees or maintenance. Mark has been battling since September 2006 for a maintenance grant and his case was backed by the Higher Education Colleges Association which represents the private colleges sector.

The department initially offered to pay Mark two years' maintenance and all his legal costs but insisted on a confidentiality clause.

However, this was rejected by Mark, who wanted the case heard in public so that other students in similar circumstances would benefit.

Just before the court hearing the department conceded the full maintenance costs and full legal fees but dropped the confidentiality demand.

Despite his victory he still feels let down by the department.

He argues that his "substantial" legal costs, which the department has agreed to pay, would have been enough for 10 students to receive maintenance awards.

- John Walsh Education Editor

johnnyskeleton

Are they going to give this to all private students? It sounds like the department dodged that bullet. Seeing as he was bankrolled by the Higher Education Colleges Association, I'm surprised they didn't go all the way and get a declaration.

superficies

Presumably only to all students in private colleges who qualify for the grant - contrary to the stereotype the private colleges are not full of rich people with rich parents. In fact the socio-economic mix is not enormously different to in other institutions from what I have seen. And it is and has long been a complete disgrace that people who attend these colleges are deemed ineligible for the maintenance grant without any individual assessment of their means - those attending more traditional private colleges, like the King's Inns for example, do receive the maintenance grant.

Very interesting. Sad it had to go that far of course.

mountainyman

Surely from the taxpayers point of view there is a valid quality control issue. If you are too thick to get into a real college why should I pay for you to pretend to be a student. Just compare the points for law at for example UCD and GCD .

MM

Planxty

mountainyman wrote: »

Surely from the taxpayers point of view there is a valid quality control issue. If you are too thick to get into a real college why should I pay for you to pretend to be a student. Just compare the points for law at for example UCD and GCD .

MM

That has to be a joke. If not then it is the most ironic post ever lol

axer

mountainyman wrote: »

Surely from the taxpayers point of view there is a valid quality control issue. If you are too thick to get into a real college why should I pay for you to pretend to be a student. Just compare the points for law at for example UCD and GCD .

MM

Just because someone does not get the points to become e.g. an IT engineer doesnt mean that the person would not be the great at the job. I could be great at maths and physics but crap in Geography, french, Irish, English etc etc. The leaving certificate and CAO point systems are not very fair.

There is no reason why someone going to a private college should be automatically excluded from means test.

hullaballoo

mountainyman

axer wrote: »

Just because someone does not get the points to become e.g. an IT engineer doesnt mean that the person would not be the great at the job. I could be great at maths and physics but crap in Geography, french, Irish, English etc etc. The leaving certificate and CAO point systems are not very fair.

There is no reason why someone going to a private college should be automatically excluded from means test.

They possess means as is demonstrated by attendance at a private college. I know whereof I speak as I am a night student at Griffith and frankly the day students are thick as pig****. As the staff will confirm for you if asked.

MM

NoQuarter

if you really had any intellegence at all you'd realise what a massive stereotype your making!

so off you pop in you ignorant little bubble and ill pop back to my day class in griffith.....that is of course if my brain can find the capacity to remember where the college is! alas the perils of having a pea brain!

McCrack

Surely from the taxpayers point of view there is a valid quality control issue. If you are too thick to get into a real college why should I pay for you to pretend to be a student. Just compare the points for law at for example UCD and GCD .

MM

You're contadicting yourself with the above pal. You say in a later post that youre a night student there??
To be honest you should take a bow and get off the stage. You're either ignorant or trying to stir up attention. My money is on the latter. Pathetic.

EdgarAllenPoo

Now now Stew, it's not nice to pick on the simple. Someone holds a grudge because for whatever reason they tried and failed to get into Griffith me thinks.

I'm living proof that just because you didn't get the points for Law in UCD doesn't mean you shouldn't do it and also that not all private college students have tons of money. I worked my ass off for a year and a half to save up the money for the three years of my course. I had offers from other colleges but I wanted to do law.

McCrack

mountainyman wrote: »

I know whereof I speak as I am a night student

MM

I know whereof I speak???

EdgarAllenPoo

I love it when people attempt to use grammer to make themselves sound better but come off looking worse when they post stuff like that.

mountainyman

GDM you should have waited till you were a mature student and gone to a real University the Griffith law library is a joke, the law lecturers in the main are amateurs (some talented amateurs but amateurs nonetheless)the degree course doen't cover the Backhall Syllabus (don't know about the Inns) and the fees are extortionate.

Whereof is a perfectly common English word.,

McCrack Griffith is the only night law school in Dublin I now wish I had moved to Galway and gone to a real University and not Griffith.

My advice for anyone contemplating studying law in GCD full time would be Resit Your Leaving.

MM

Victor

Ooh, rich kids complaining about stereotypes!

mountainyman wrote: »

My advice for anyone contemplating studying law in GCD full time would be Resit Your Leaving.

They already have! TWICE!

NoQuarter

Victor wrote: »

Ooh, rich kids complaining about stereotypes! :DThey already have! TWICE!

If you call sitting in kosovo for 6 months with the army to earn the money to go rich then guilty as charged! :rolleyes:

Rossibaby

mountainyman wrote: »

GDM you should have waited till you were a mature student and gone to a real University the Griffith law library is a joke, the law lecturers in the main are amateurs (some talented amateurs but amateurs nonetheless)the degree course doen't cover the Backhall Syllabus (don't know about the Inns) and the fees are extortionate.

Whereof is a perfectly common English word.,

McCrack Griffith is the only night law school in Dublin I now wish I had moved to Galway and gone to a real University and not Griffith.

My advice for anyone contemplating studying law in GCD full time would be Resit Your Leaving.

MM

From what i've seen of the library in my odd excursions in there as a first year in NUIG,the library has a great law section and had all the books on my course in plentiful supply and the recommended reading was also readily available.what type law were you doing?I have friends in civil and corporate here.

Was up in Griffith wee while back visiting my friend who is doing journalism there.the accomodation is pretty second rate imo and the people i met are in no way little dumb rich kids.point in their favour is class sizes.some of my lectures have over 300 in them while my friend in GCD has 15!

NoQuarter

Rossibaby wrote: »

of my lectures have over 300 in them while my friend in GCD has 15!

GCD law has generally around 70, although sometimes only around 15 show up! :eek:

mountainyman

Yes I admit that Griffith has a strong tutorial system especially for the day students and the supply of basic textbooks is normal. The supply of non basic textbooks is not good and the 'Law Library' element is not good. BUT there is access to Lexis.

Of course not all GCD day students are stupid and obviously King Stew and GDM are the classic example that proves the rule. Still think you should have moved to Galway.


No points needed to attend GCD GDM WINK

axer

mountainyman wrote: »

No points needed to attend GCD

Its a pity any college requires points.

Victor

king-stew wrote: »

If you call sitting in

In my day we had to stand!

Our man in Havana

And we were bare footed.

NoQuarter

mountainyman wrote: »

Of course not all GCD day students are stupid and obviously King Stew and GDM are the classic example that proves the rule.

Oh you!

Victor wrote: »

In my day we had to stand!

You stop throwin breaks!

Victor

I'm not qualified to throw breaks.

Cue everyone else wondering what "throwing breaks" is.

NoQuarter

Victor wrote: »

Cue everyone else wondering what "throwing breaks" is.

Civvies :rolleyes:

Charlie

I graduated last September from Griffith with a 1.1 in Law, and believe you me, I had to work to the bone to get that. I am now taking a masters in UCD, and MM you are wrong on so many levels.

Griffith's library is better in many respects in that it has plenty of all the main texts. Its next to impossible to get copies here in UCD.

Secondly, the majority of my lecturers in Griffith are very comparable to those I am studying under at the moment, and some I would say are superior.

There will always be those who will turn their nose up at a Griffith degree, but from my experience with people in the legal field, the course is well respected and if you get the results, the big firms are more than happy to give you an opportunity.