Democrats call for action on HECS

THE Democrats have called on the Rudd Government to take urgent action to head off steep increases in the cost of university education.

THE Australian Democrats have called on the Rudd Government to take urgent action to head off steep increases in the cost of university education.

Democrats higher education spokeswoman Senator Natasha Stott Despoja said the Government also had to move quickly to bolster income support for students.

“We do not need another (government) review to show costs are rising, or that student income support is not meeting the basic living costs of students,” she said.

“We've been promised an education revolution by this Government. When is it going to begin?” Senator Stott Despoja said.

The senator was commenting on forecasts, reported this week in The Australian, that HECS fees could rise to as much as $11,573 by 2017, $17,462 by 2027 and $26,349 by 2037.

The Australian Scholarship Group's calculations do not include living expenses, books or computers and come amid fears students are turning their backs on universities due to concerns about debt.

The latest round of university offers shows a decline in demand as school-leavers decide to get a job in the nation's booming economy rather than start a costly tertiary education.

Senator Stott Despoja said the predicted cost increases were alarming.

“Few students will be able to afford to pay more than $75,000 for a three-year degree,” she said.

“Already, we are seeing a drop in the number of school-leavers opting for university; instead they are choosing to enter the paid workforce sooner.

“While university is not the preferred option for all students, the choice must be there and must not be determined by wealth.”

Commenting on the issue of student income support, Senator Stott Despoja said the Government should examine the 2005 Senate inquiry she initiated as well as recommendations issued last year by sector lobby Universities Australia.

This week new figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that education costs rose by 4.1 per cent in 2007, ahead of the general cost of living, which was up 3 per cent.