Income support for postgraduate students

The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations is encouraged by the recognition from vice-chancellors and the Minister for Education, Science and Training of the longstanding disparity in income support available to undergraduate and postgraduate university students. Unlike financially disadvantaged undergraduate students, postgraduate students in a similar situation are generally deemed ineligible for income support.

"It is time for the discrimination against postgraduate students to end. Combined with other inequities, such as no access to rent assistance or transport concessions, postgraduates are doing it tough," says CAPA President Jason Hart.

Most postgraduate students already pay full fees for their courses. With the likely sector expansion of the University of Melbourne decision to restrict professional qualifications to the postgraduate level, combined with the possibility that Australia will pursue a Bologna degree model, the dire financial situation of postgraduates will be worsened still.

Not only will the already large HECS-HELP debt be compounded by a massive FEE-HELP debt, postgraduate students will be forced to work while they study in order to achieve the basic qualifications needed to pursue their chosen career. Many students simply will not be able to afford to continue. Access to the professions will therefore be restricted to the wealthy, and to those few who are able to access one of the dwindling numbers of coursework scholarships.

CAPA reiterates its call for eligibility for Commonwealth supported places and income support to be extended to university students at all levels.