Financial costs deter thousands of masters students
Geoff Maslen, University World News
Most masters students work part-time or rely on their parents to pay the tuition fees and living expenses. Many find the effort of combining work and study too arduous and drop out. But some, including Queensland student Mick Fox, persevere.
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So he now spends much of his time trying to balance part-time work, study and ‘jobseeker activities’.
When he asked for help from the government’s employment agency, he was told he should give up his studies, get a full-time job and go back to university when he had earned enough to survive as a student.
“I am the first person in my family to undertake university study and, coming from a low-income background, it seems that the system is not there to support you. Instead, they want to place you in any form of employment even if it’s unsuitable while leaving higher education to those who can afford it.”
Fox is a vice-president of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA), which is campaigning for greater support for postgraduates who are not eligible for scholarships or government allowances.
Read more: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20180704090900292
