Education becoming too expensive for students in Western Sydney
17 September 2001
High HECS bills, lack of income support and increased working hours are all making it harder for people to study at university, according to a recent survey by the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee.
Over 1,600 students from the University of Western Sydney responded to the survey, which received 34,752 responses from around the country. The study found that many students claimed that they could not afford to study without Youth Allowance, but most were either not eligible or found the level of benefits too low for survival.
As a result, students are borrowing more, and working longer hours. In 2000, students are working three times the hours worked by students in 1984, and more than half report that this is having an adverse impact on their study.
University of Western Sydney NTEU Branch spokesperson Michael Darcy said that the findings of the study bore out the experience of staff and students.
`Staff see at close quarters the problems caused by student financial hardship’, he said. `All of us know of students who’ve discontinued their study or failed to achieve their potential because of the high costs of getting an education.’
`At UWS, where many students don’t come from wealthy backgrounds, this is particularly serious. A lot of our students are among the first in their family to go to university, but they’re having to work twice as hard to stay there.’
Mr Darcy said that the Union wanted whichever party forms the next government to do something positive about lowering the costs of university participation.
`Reviewing the level and repayment thresholds of fees under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme would be a good start,’ he said. `Under the current Government, HECS has increased by up to 125%, and students have to repay their debts when they’re still on a low income. The Government also needs to increase support to students from low socio-economic backgrounds.’
`The current system isn’t fair. If you’re rich, you can buy a fee-paying place, and you can draw on parental support. Opportunities to study at university should be about merit, not the capacity to pay.’