Student loans for university fees are not the best way to fund higher education.

The representatives of over half a million students will address the Oireachtas committee on Education and Skills today, on the need for government investment in the sector.

The Union of Students in Ireland is one of the bodies involved – it says the evidence from other countries shows that loan systems don’t work the way they’re supposed to.

USI President Annie Hoey (pictured) says they place an unfair burden on students and don’t increase participation from minority groups: “It seems as soon as a contingent loan scheme is brought in the state investment in higher education drastically reduces and the private contribution goes up and up and up.

“So once we get into increased fees and a loan scheme, it very quickly becomes the individuals burden to carry to take out these loans and debt and the state reduces their investment in higher education.”