As Hecs and Help debts start to weigh on graduates, is it time to rethink our student loan system?
Errol Phuah, the national president of the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, sees the effect the debt is having on the students he represents.
“It manifests itself in poor mental health outcomes and just being very apathetic about everything,” says Phuah. “Students might be coping but they’re not really saving. There’s no guarantee that we’ll get secure employment and it’s really hard to get a loan when you’re on a short contract, let alone having accrued a large Help debt.”
