Fresher Cowen Foots the Bill at California University

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is paying for his six-week course in Stanford University it emerged today.

Cowen is enrolled in a course called the Executive Education Programme which costs €47,000 in the prestigious Californian college.

It was suggested yesterday that the taxpayer would foot the bill but Enterprise Ireland said that it was not subsidising Mr. Cowen’s study abroad.

According to the Irish Independent, Brian Cowen’s brother Barry said that the former Taoiseach is in California on a private capacity.

"He's a private person attending in a private capacity, not at the invitation or initiation of anybody else. Ultimately, it's his business what he does and where he does it," he said.

We love the pictures of Brian in all the papers this morning with his school bag thrown over his right shoulder walking around campus.

We wonder if he’ll chill out at a few Fresher’s Week parties with his fellow students? Beer Pong!