Worries over Bursary

I want to give my views about the lack of information given on the payment of Standard Tertiary Bursary. Although some students have received notice that they will be getting S.T.B., that's about all they've received. Others (mainly first-years) who haven't received even this news are consequently running around like scared rabbits for fear that something's gone wrong with their S.T.B. application and they're not going to get all (?) that lovely money which is so essential to their continued health and wellbeing.

That aside, there's the fact that no information has been published as to when the first payments will be received. This can be found out roughly by going to the Bursaries office and asking, but even then you won't be told a definite date and I feel it shouldn't be necessary to ask the Bursaries people. They should broadcast this information themselves and in such a way that all students concerned will get it.

Then there's the question of the actual payments ie the fact that a bulk amount is given 3 or 4 times yearly. A lot of students would be a lot happier if payments were made on a fortnightly basis as done at Polytech. So why aren't they? The University authorities tell us that it would cost too much to make fortnightly payments - what they're not so quick to tell us is that if they were to do it this way, they'd also lose all the interest which they're receiving at present on our money.

Then, forgetting about payment arrangements, there's the fact that S.T.B. is just not enough. At the very least we need a cost of living increase but the way things are going it doesn't look like we'll be getting it.

Something needs to be done fast about the whole S.T.B. question. At present there are just too many things wrong with it.