With O’Week at ACT Universities kicking off, thousands of new students will get their first taste of university life.
Senator for the ACT, Kate Lundy, said it was an exciting and challenging time for students but for many it also brought financial worries.
Students and their families should be very concerned about proposed Howard Government changes that could mean huge increases in the cost of a degree.
If Mr Howard gets his way, universities will able to increase HECS and students may have to take on massive debt to go to university.
There will be more and more $100,000 degrees.
The Howard Government’s proposed changes are unfair and serve only to punish working families.
Student contributions to the cost of study have jumped a staggering 85 per cent since the Howard Government took office and Australian students are now paying among the highest study and living costs in the world.
The Howard Government had ripped out more than $5 billion dollars from Australian universities including cuts of $136.715 million from the Australian National University and $63.081 million from the University of Canberra. A combined total of $199.797 million.
The Government cuts have taken a severe toll on universities- over-crowded lecture halls, less course choice, severe IT shortages and infrastructure in serious disrepair had become unfortunate features of Australian universities.
Funding cuts have resulted in the average number of students per teaching staff at
the ANU rising by 33 per cent and 11 per cent at the University of Canberra.
The Howard Government’s objective should be to find ways for more young people to get a great university education – not to hike up costs so that only the wealthy can afford a decent education.
19 February 2003. Media contact: Adina Cirson – (02) 6277 3334 or the Electorate Office – 0418 488 295.
