Opposition says high HECS fees deter students

Opposition says high HECS fees deter students. 21/02/2005. ABC News Online: "The Opposition has seized on Department of Education Science and
Training figures which show students owe almost $11 billion
Australia-wide."

The HECS fees have really changed the tertiary landscape. It has differentiated between the haves and the have nots instead of optimising the possibility for those with good brains and talents to get to uni. As a result we have increasingly a shortage of people to work in the "socially deprived" areas because we do not have a group who understands and feels comfortable with that background. We need professionals from a range of backgrounds. Money doesn't necessarily mean brains. But some people fail to work to their potential after their degrees so that they do not have to repay their fees and others are getting degrees here and then living overseas so that they do not have to repay their fees. Everyone says it is not that simple but they have just put the costs up 25% in most tertiary institutions and created more upfront fee paying places. It is not about the intellectual development of our nation. It has also caused a drift to the Eastern states. Why get educated in Adelaide when you have to pay exorbitant fees? You might just was well go to one of the bigger , more established universities in the east and get government support for living away from home. These HECs fees have been very destabilizing Some uni students have to work long hours in jobs to afford their courses and then they can't finish their courses because they are so tired. It is not focussing us on educational goals and that is a big loss for us. It needs to be addressed in a very thorough way.