(no subject)

[hawkwing_lb]

It turns out that things can always get worse.

Apparently - the relevent article is behind a paywall at the Sunday Business Post (.ie), but the general outlines are clear enough - the present government intend to remove all postgraduate support in the next budget. That means no fees contribution and no maintenance grant.

Aside from the Logic Fail inherent in this - Government! It costs you less to pay postgraduate fees at the EU rate for research students than it does to maintain those same students on the jobseekers' allowance over the course of a year! And have you seen the unemployment rate? - there's a large degree of cruelty involved in yanking the rug out from under the feet of people who were counting on remaining in education (or chose to return to education) until the jobs market picks up an eensy-weensy bit.

Because, people? Let's not forget that Ireland has no system of student loans comparable to the UK, Canada, or even the US. For the people whose education will be cut short by such a measure, there is nowhere to apply. Do you imagine AIB or Bank of Ireland will give an unsecured loan to a student?

There might be work-arounds. I have (based on last year's numbers) a one in nine or ten shot at a scholarship whose applications open in January. Otherwise, I don't know. I might be fucked. I hope I'm not, but I might be.

In which case, I'm going to have a nice, messy nervous breakdown. The rage and despair has to go somewhere - and right now, I'm holding off on putting my fist through a wall only because a)there is still a chance that this will apply only to new postgraduates and b)I'd only have to pay to fix the wall.

And my fist, but what the hell do I need that for, anyway? Maybe I should put it through my own face.

Comments

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

Oh god. That's horrible.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I'm having myself a nice little freakout, yep. I've already sent a "But what can I doooo?" email to my supervisor. If the worst comes to the worst, I think I'm in an okay position to take a year off-books and figure out how to afford to pay for a final/submission year then.

There's still a chance that this will only apply to new postgrads. But still. I am offended at my government's inability to do basic maths.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

I'm offended at your government too, at this rate! (Not that mine's doing great in many education-related areas either.) Just. Augh. Much sympathy for the freakout. If I were actually anywhere like on the same land mass, I would attempt to buy you hot cocoa and maybe some kind of soothing pastry.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I have had soothing caffeine and protein. (Fish'n'chipper chicken nuggets. Not sure how much real chicken is in them, but childhood foods are always comforting.) But the thought is much appreciated.

(Honestly? EU-based fees are around 5.5K a year for research postgrads. Jobseekers' allowance over the same period is 7.5K, roughly, for under-25s, and around 9.8K for over-25s. Our unemployment rate is 14% across all age ranges and higher between 21 and 30. Your logic, government. I do not see it. Unless it is to drive all the smart not-rich people abroad.)

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

...god, yes, that takes it from "evil and short-sighted" to "downright stupid even in the short run." I would say something clever about how this just proves they need to pay for education so that politicians can learn basic math, but I'm too flabbergasted to actually phrase it wittily.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

The austerity god has eaten what little sense they once possessed.

Or, no. The thing is? I suspect this is calculated. All cuts to access to higher education are based on promoting class divisions and restricting class mobility. Concentrate power and grow the underclass!

The political class is one with a high percentage of inherited connections, and they and their children turn out to be lawyers, businesspeople, semi-state body governors, and publicans. Apart from the very small handful of former teachers and doctors, who usually have family connections to lawyers and publicans.

They're not real good at empathy and medium-term planning.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

*froths*

Fffff. I think I need to go play a mindless video game for a while. Or write another chapter of my current protagonist shooting people what need shooting. The world is too full of Evil today--and, in a few cases, friends cheering it on because they think the non-evil people smell funny, or something--for me to cope with it well.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Vicarious shooting. Yes. Always a good plan.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

If only I were any good at FPS games... But I can get a lot of mileage out of writing about people being violent. Even if action scenes are a pain to write.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I like the vicarious violence of things like Dragon Age and Mass Effect (although Mass Effect's perspective messed with my head). I haven't managed to enjoy a FPS since SOCOM 2, I think?

(This might be because I average one videogame a year, and lean towards the RPG end by preference.)

Writing... I should try to do some more of that, soon.

Well...

[thecoughlin.livejournal.com]

Not that us yanks are doing much better, but perhaps applying for a US TA position is in order.....

Re: Well...

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

At least here I get my meds mostly free for now. I don't want to think how expensive my life would be if I didn't.

Re: Well...

[thecoughlin.livejournal.com]

point....

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

The austerity god has eaten what little sense they once possessed.

I'm going to have this embroidered on a sampler.

I have my fingers and everything else crossed that they can't pull the rug on you at this stage without someone taking them to the European courts for 'breach of promise' or whatever...

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I am remaining optimistic. Freaked, but optimistic.

[jennygadget.livejournal.com]

* jaw-drop *

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!

* looks for a hole to hide in *

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I said.

[between4walls.livejournal.com]

I am sorry your government are such innumerate bastards. Is there any way to finish your degree in another EU country with better student financing? Or Canada?

Re: the suggestion above: some TA posts in the US do offer medical insurance but it varies by university. Massachusetts has universal healthcare but I don't know how cheap it is.

Fingers crossed it's only for new students. And good luck with the scholarship.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I'm being optimistic.

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

That's pretty hellish... I'm sorry to hear this, and it does seem really stupid to cut funding at this point.