$100,000 degree?

[karag]

Does anyone else find this a bit.. over the top?

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,10632361%255E2,00.html

I know as a student that I'm pretty broke most of the time and my uni course isn't up there at the $100,000 mark..

Do you think the degree is worth that much? (the degree in question is a Dentistry degree.. I suppose once they have it they could pay the debt back pretty quick)

Personally I think it's just another way to milk students of more money.

[Abbz]

thats just stupid. soon they will have no dentists, or doctors or MOST things because no one can afford to study it ! then they whinge when understaffed!!

[karag]

I know that once you HAVE that degree you charge enough to cover the cost of it but how can anyone expect to cough up the dough for it in the first place? the only people doing those courses soon will be the overseas students with parents who can afford to pay it.

[32gts4]

These courses they're talking about are in ADDITION to HECS-offered places .. which means that there will be more places offered to give local students the same oppurtunities as overseas students to pay their way through Uni.

[karag]

as in to give the students a choice between HECS and paying?
Overseas students can't use HECS so they have to pay..

if there is more places offered now due to these ADDITIONAL paid-in-full places.. doesn't that give more places for the people who can afford the 100k?

maybe I'm not quite understanding this correctly

[SikS4]

i think u will find that doctors sons/daughters become doctors, dentists sons/daughters become and blue collar workers sons/daughters become blue collar workers

[32gts4]

You are correct in saying that overseas students don't get to use the HECS facility. So they have to pay upfront. I believe it's quite a lot of money as well.

We, as locals, are able to use the HECS facility and apply to HECS funded places.

They want to give more oppurtunity to local students so in addition to the HECS places, there will be privately funded places as well.

So for example there might be 150 HECS funded places offered to do Medicine at UWA. In addition to this, they might hypothetically allocate another 50 places to privately funded students. The article says that there will be loans available if you want to take this route. I think it's a good thing ... gives locals a bit more of a chance to do these courses, and you're not going to be slugged for the whole amount straight off the bat because you'll be able to get a loan for it.

[karag]

So it's a bit like HECS in the sense that you can get the money given to you to pay back it just doesn't come out in taxes as HECS does.

Are these extra places available to local students only or also available to overseas students in addition to the current allotment of privatly funded places?

[32gts4]

Well you'd have to apply for a loan. Banks like the National Bank will give you a student loan where you start paying it back three months after you finish full time study. But of course it accrues interest while you're at uni so you'll get stung there. Best to pay it off as you can while you're at Uni.

I don't think it mentioned in the article whether or not it would apply solely to local students.

[karag]

student loans are limited in amount.

No way you'd manage to get a $115,000 loan under student terms..

Maybe banks would accomodate students after this avenue but man the intrest on a $100,000+ loan would hurt!

[32gts4]

Yeah at the moment they're limited to $50k but the article said that they might either raise the bank loan limits, or bring down the fees. Either way it should be doable.

Yeah interest on that sort of loan would have to have a half decent rate !

As it is my HECS bill is huge and I wouldn't wanna be paying off a loan !

[karag]

yeah my HECS is going to be quite a punch.
hopefully my job pays enough to get rid of it.

[RadiuM]

Remember the HECS charges to you are only a percentage of what the real course costs, the government is still subsidising(sp?) it.

Shaun

[32gts4]

Yeah hopefully mine should be cleared soon as well.

Not only that but I put my tax return towards it which knocked it down substantially :)