#hecs

Just sharing as an Australian history student to show how fucked the uni system here is. Especially when they doubled the cost of most degrees in the middle of 2020 (the year I graduated) when we’d spent our hsc studying and preparing for a certain degree/career. My year group could not suddenly change our entire life plan over a policy they introduced just as we were about to graduate and had done our uni applications.

In 2020/2021 they doubled the cost of anything arts or critical thinking related (including politics/history/law) when our government wasn’t operating as a democracy should (our prime minister swore himself into half a dozen government positions without anyone knowing) + openly said women were lucky they weren’t shot at for protesting against the country’s domestic violence problem that the government chooses to ignore.

They did this to effectively force students from low economic areas and backgrounds (myself included) into areas that needed filling (while doubling psychology when we have major shortages) and gatekeep a significant amount of degrees to the wealthy areas, effectively fucking over regional students who struggle immensely as it is with affording university.

Johnny voluntarily enrols in a university course. It is not free. A constituent part of that university course is the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). At the time of enrolling, Johnny is aware (or should be) of his HECS obligations, which is a deferred tax-like obligation. His university enrolment includes an informed decision about his HECS obligations.

The Higher Education Contribution Scheme is an income stream for the government. For the purpose of this hypothetical, the government makes a political decision to wipe $1 Million from the HECS debt of Johnny. That means the income stream of the government is deficient $1 Million. Wiping the HECS debt of Johnny does not wipe the financial obligations of the government elsewhere (funding universities, infrastructure, healthcare etc). That $1 Million income deficiency will need to be sourced elsewhere: • Other taxpayers through higher taxes. • Borrowing (which defers the burden, but still transfers it to future taxpayers). • Cuts elsewhere (reducing spending in other programs).