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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 04 Hansard (Wednesday, 31 March 2004) . . Page.. 1392 ..

Rather than the thinning down of student support that we are seeing from the federal government, the Greens would prefer to have a debate about how to increase and improve the provision of student support. Recently, the federal government increased HECS fees by 25 per cent, which in effect increases the burden on students to pay for the cost of education and lightens the cost of higher education for the government.

The federal department of education reported that fee increases brought in by the current federal government have resulted in a reduced demand for higher education amongst school leaver applicants by around 9,000 students per year, a lower demand for higher education amongst mature age applicants of around 17,000 per year, and a reduced number of men from lower socioeconomic backgrounds being able to access the most expensive university courses. There has been a 38 per cent drop in the number of people from these low income backgrounds who have been able to access these expensive courses at university.

Approximately 10 per cent of students drop out as a direct result of financial hardship and these figures do not count for the unmeasured thousands of graduates who underachieve at university because they work 20 hours or more. To raise Abstudy and Austudy in line with Newstart levels, which would be similar to the scheme that exists in New Zealand, would cost approximately $270 million per annum. To extend rent assistance to Austudy recipients would cost a further $25 million per annum. That is a small price to pay for improved numbers and quality of Australian graduates. These measures, along with a reduction in the age of independence to 18 from 25, and the simplification of the interface between Centrelink and students are the kinds of measures Australia should be taking to support students.

I am not sure of federal Labor policy on support for students, but the Greens are not alone in calling for these sorts of measure for improved student income support. The Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee, in their report to the minister, has called for the higher education legislation “to be supported by changes to the income support system, to ensure that students from low to middle income families do not face financial barriers to education and training but are encouraged to undertake suitable long-term education and training”. Even the group of eight, the group of the wealthiest universities, has noted the need for greater equity measures. They have joined the National Tertiary Education Union, the Australian Council of Social Service and the National Union of Students, which have all articulated the need to create a liveable financial environment for students to succeed.

The overseas experience reinforces this consensus. In both the UK and New Zealand, experiments with the withdrawal or downgrading of student support funding are being reversed. A House of Commons select committee report released in June last year recommended that the recently reintroduced means tested student maintenance grants scheme should be expanded. The committee report endorsed the comments of Professor Brown of Liverpool John Moores University, who said that the main cost borne by students is not that of tuition fees but is, in fact, the cost of personal maintenance, which is very inadequately supported through the student loan system.

Universities should be places where we, as a community, can give students an opportunity to further their education in order that we may all benefit and be enriched by

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