The concept of university as an affordable option for everyone could soon be dead if the federal government is able to get its university reforms through the senate.
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Students are facing the real risk of increased fees for courses and this would be compounded by higher interest rates on their tertiary loans.
The government argues that the changes are fair because university graduates earn approximately an extra million dollars in their career than those who don't take on additional study after school.
However, the changes would have the biggest impact on the graduates who enter into lower paying jobs because they would pay more interest over the life of the loan than those who earn more.
Under the HELP scheme, students pay a low level of interest on their loan and begin paying it back once they graduate and earn more than $50,000 a year. If, as expected, fees rise once the government deregulates them, students will have a bigger HELP debt and they will face a much greater interest bill.
Anyone who takes a while to get a job or starts on a wage lower than $50,000 will be hardest hit.
Any women who take maternity leave before paying off their HELP debt will also be badly effected.
Some projections estimate that lower income earners will pay an extra $30,000 in interest on their loan compared to higher earners.
The Country Education Foundation is trying to do their bit. They acknowledge the difficulty regional students have. Their 2015 Tertiary Scholarships Guide lets students know what scholarships are available and if the federal government gets its way, university-goers will need all the help they can get.