Mr. Glenn Fitzpatrick:

Senator Healy Eames asked me for my perspective on dropouts. The worst-case scenario involves a student identifying two courses with a similar name and outlook in the prospectus and choosing the wrong one. The course ends up being completely different from what the student expected. We have run campaigns highlighting 31 October as the date for saving free fees. The date was not well advertised. Students engaging in this kind of conversation should be seen as a positive thing. It is a problem for the system rather than individual higher education institutions. The feedback from fees and income officers and guidance counsellors is the same, that the system is unfair on students and on higher education institutions. It is a big decision to drop out of college but the system does not allow it to be seen as a positive step. People get into college and are going through inductions and getting used to life in college when, all of a sudden, it is early November and they have not thought about dropping out. I point to the system in that regard but otherwise I will stop.