A university education could be financially out of reach for many Dubbo children born in 2015 and is becoming more of a struggle for students currently enrolled.
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According to figures the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) Planning for University Index officially released on Tuesday a child born in 2015 could pay $500,000 for their total university education regardless of fee deregulation.
Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dubbo campus Student Representative Council (SRC) president Luke Lawrence said he and many of his peers were anxious about increasing university costs.
"We are concerned, particularly first years, HECS fees are expensive, you are looking at $600 to $1000 for textbooks depending on what course you are doing and there is also a student fund you pay," he said.
"If you are living on campus you have accommodation to pay or you have rent and it is not easier if you are a mature age student, you are in the same boat as an 18-year-old."
The ASG Planning for University Index forecast an increase of about $260,000 in the total cost of a six-year university education for a medical student who lived away from home in 2033 from 2015 figures including costs such as university fees, transport, computers and accommodation. It was estimated over the period of the course a medical student in 2033 would spend $330,000 on living expenses combined with $180,000 in course fees.
Less expensive courses such as photography are also predicted to create a financial obstacle with costs for a student living away from home projected to be $204,431 over three years, a doubling of current costs.
Mr Lawrence said he was worried about how rising university costs could impact on the education his six-year-old son could receive.
"The costs he is looking at when he starts university are extraordinary," he said. "I think about his ability to get a job."
Mr Lawrence said the Dubbo campus SRC currently directed students to available scholarships to help with university costs.
"We are trying to make it as easy as we can for people on campus," he said. "There is only a limited number of scholarships and sometimes the paperwork can be lengthy and their are strict conditions."