Higher Education

Higher ed package fails to address student poverty: ACOSS

ACOSS President Andrew McCallum said: "Students from poor backgrounds are already around half as likely to attend university as those from
higher income families and this is likely to worsen."

"Poor students are deterred from university because of the prospect of a huge HECS debt and because their families have difficulty
supporting them while they are studying:"

* "Adult students over 25 receive only $155 a week from Austudy - around 36% below the Henderson poverty line. They are not eligible
for Rent Assistance."

* "Young students from poor backgrounds who are living away from home receive slightly more than students aged over 25 - $192 a week including Rent Assistance - but this is still about 17% below the Henderson poverty line."

* "Absurdly, adult unemployed people receive $71 a week more than Austudy recipients and this creates a disincentive for people to
improve their qualifications and job prospects."

"The Government's proposed scholarships are welcome, but do not outweigh the negative aspects of the package. Four out of every five
Indigenous and low-income students will miss out on a scholarship.
And, at a rate of $2,000 per student, these scholarships still do not
bring the level of public assistance above the poverty line."

"High HECS debts already put off many prospective students from attending university and yet this barrier is also likely to worsen
under the Government's plans to allow universities to increase HECS fees by up to 30%."

"Inequality is also set to worsen under proposals for universities to be able to accept up to 50% of enrolments by full-fee paying
students. This will increasingly mean access to university being determined by a student's capacity to pay rather than their academic
merit. The Government's proposed new interest-bearing FEE-HELP loans scheme is very unlikely to be used by poorer students wanting to
access these full-fee places."

"Our submission also finds that inequality between universities will worsen as prestigious campuses become resource-rich from higher HECS
fees and more full-fee enrolments while universities catering to low and middle income students such as those in regional areas have fewer resources."

"Our submission quotes from recent research into the views of poor families:

I'd like my children to be able to go to university, if that's what they want to do. But the way things are at the moment, it's going to
cost too much to have them at university. There are HECS fees, and they can be delayed, but then the kids are left with a debt to pay off, and Austudy isn't enough for them to live on. (Anglicare
Tasmania)

"ACOSS calls on the Senate to reject the Government's package in its current form. Rent Assistance should be immediately extended to
Austudy recipients."

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© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/campaigns/higher_ed/20031007_163.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005