Fed: Uni students now pay up to $30,000 more in HECS fees: Labor

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2006
Fed: Uni students now pay up to $30,000 more in HECS fees: Labor

(EDS: Embargoed until 0001 AEDT Feb 2, February 2)



CANBERRA, Feb 2 AAP - University students are now paying up to $30,000 more in HECS
fees after a decade of massive cost hikes by the Howard government, Labor says.

Opposition education spokeswoman Jenny Macklin says Australian students now owe more
than $13 billion, thanks to the introduction of 25 per cent HECS fee increases by the
government last year.

"Students are paying up to $5,000 per year more HECS because of these increases, leaving
Australian families with an Americanised education system and massive bills, which they
may never be able to repay," Ms Macklin said.

"Over the length of a degree these increases add up to a significant additional burden
on students and their families."

She said on average, in 1997 Australian medical students paid about $17,600 for their
university degree. They will now pay $49,000.

Law students paid $11,700 a decade ago compared with $32,600 this year, while arts
students paid $8,800 in 1996 and are now paying $14,600, Ms Macklin said, citing figures
from the government's education department website.

She said most students had little hope of ever being able to pay their debts back,
with total student debt getting bigger every year.

AAP mjp/pb/sd

KEYWORD: UNIVERSITIES LABOR (EMBARGOED)

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