LOCAL University students were this week confronted with future fee hikes due to the Federal Government’s plan to cut university funding.

The new measures will see university fees raised by up to 7.5 percent by 2021.

The changes will first appear in 2018, with a fee increase of 1.8 percent.

Students will also have to start paying back their loans sooner, with this threshold being lowered to an annual income of

$42,000 compared to the previous sum of over $55,000.

While this means fees won’t become completely deregulated, the government has also announced they will decrease their funding to Universities by 2.5 percent.

A former student of Medowie Christian School, Kim Barrass, told News of the Area, “This will be a deterrent for up and coming students who are already unsure of their career paths.”

Kim is in her third and final year of a biomedical science degree at the University of Newcastle and has been accepted into the University of Western Sydney to begin studying Medicine next year.

“Once I finally graduate, I will have been at university for eight years; this will mean my HECS debt will be around $100,000.”

“These changes aren’t encouraging the youth of today to pursue an education and they certainly aren’t making those who are currently studying feel any better about their choice.”

A six-year medical degree will remain the most expensive degree to attain, at around $75,000.

Most other degrees commenced in 2018 will cost between $20,000 to $50,00 to acheive.

 

By Simone JOHNSON