Final-year students planning for humanities degrees say the rise in university costs is adding to the stress of the pandemic
Year 12 students, already affected by Covid-19 disruptions, said the
news that university course fees could be drastically changed was
“incredibly frustrating” and “stressful” after locking in final-year
subjects aimed at degrees that were now likely to skyrocket in price.
On Friday the Coalition government announced a new pricing system for tertiary education in which fees for courses such as teaching, nursing, maths, science and engineering would be reduced, while degrees such as arts, commerce and law would rise in price.
Those planning to study humanities degrees would see an increase of up to 113%, bringing the cost of the degree from $20,400 to $43,500.
The changes would be grandfathered in, meaning current students would not experience any change in fees, but those planning to study next year would.
“It makes me so angry,” Gabby Price, 17, said. “I feel as if I can’t do what I’m passionate about because the government wants me to like something else.
“I was so excited to go do an arts degree but now I’m not sure … I
have dreamt of pursuing history for years and now that might not be a
reality. I could honestly cry. Spending the rest of my life broke is not
what I want to do.”
Many university degrees require or heavily preference certain
final-year school subjects, making a pivot from humanities to science
impossible for many students already halfway through year 12.On Friday the Coalition government announced a new pricing system for tertiary education in which fees for courses such as teaching, nursing, maths, science and engineering would be reduced, while degrees such as arts, commerce and law would rise in price.
Those planning to study humanities degrees would see an increase of up to 113%, bringing the cost of the degree from $20,400 to $43,500.
The changes would be grandfathered in, meaning current students would not experience any change in fees, but those planning to study next year would.
“It makes me so angry,” Gabby Price, 17, said. “I feel as if I can’t do what I’m passionate about because the government wants me to like something else.
“If I knew humanities would be double the price of science then I would’ve done chemistry or physics, both which I really enjoyed and was good at in year 10,” said Sam Prior, a current year 12 student in Victoria.
“I decided to do politics and economics instead [in order to] go towards the humanities side, unaware of these ridiculous price costs, which will hinder my ability to go into said field.”
In many states, final-year high school students have already had to transition to online learning and back due to Covid-19. They said this news was another obstacle in an already difficult year.
“I’m extremely stressed,” said Casey Parker-Turner. “I’ve already been stressed enough this year regarding my studies and Corona, I would’ve rather not have to stress about uni as well.
“I already go to a school where humanities subjects are at a disadvantage … Many aren’t running due to students not wanting to do them because they aren’t ‘good for jobs’ and the school doesn’t have a lot of funding for them.
“My hope for uni was that I’d finally be able to go into a field of study without being at a disadvantage but it looks like that isn’t going to happen.”
Students in courses with higher workforce demand can expect to pay substantially less under this new plan. Math and agriculture degrees receiving a fee reduction of 62%.
Amelia Tinsley said she was delighted when she learnt the cost of her future nursing and midwifery double degree had been slashed.
“I’ve been dreaming of doing this course since year 7 so I’m so excited about the actions the government has done,” she said.
“I was very very thankful ... really excited that the area I wanted to go into was considered important.”
The federal education minister, Dan Tehan, said at the National Press Club on Friday that he hoped the new system would encourage students to consider diversifying their degrees and choose subjects with good career prospects.
“If you want to study history, also think about studying teaching,” he said. “If you want to study philosophy, also think about studying a language. If you want to study law, also think about studying IT.”
Year 12 student Spencer Ryan said the announcement was already influencing his decision making. One of the degrees he was considering could now potentially cost twice as much as the other.
“The change for me personally has been half good and half bad,” he said. “I’d been weighing up a science and surveying course that’s now cheaper against an economics course. It’s really messed with my ability to rationally weigh up each degree as I was able to when they were around the same price.
“I think that the way in which it’s influenced my thinking is an indicator that the change is doing exactly what the government wants it to do, by pushing me into a field that they deem more employable … but I don’t think that’s what university and education is primarily about.”
A spokesman for the Independent Education Union, representing teachers at independent schools, said the union was happy with the additional support for education degrees but was concerned a fee increase for other degrees could increase inequality.
“Quality jobs of the future will call for broad knowledge and multi-disciplinary skills, which will be hampered by these fee increases,” he said. “Increasing the financial barriers to access to education in some fields will also increase structural inequalities, allowing choice only to those who can afford it.
“Education is about more than just employment prospects, and the cost of tertiary study should not be linked to a narrow reading of the short-term needs of the job market. Many great education professionals have studied humanities or other fields before specialising, and there is no doubt that this broader foundation brings great benefits, diversity and unique qualities to our schools.”
Tehan said it was expected that 60% of students would “see a reduction or no change in their student contribution” as a result of the changes.
Additional reporting by Paul Karp
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