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Budget boost for uni students
16 May 2009
One of the most pleasing aspects of the Federal Budget announcements this week is the further support being extended to the aged in the wider community, more specifically, at the university to students undertaking studies at undergraduate and graduate levels.
These two groups have been disadvantaged for too long and the direction of public funding to support them is certainly warranted.
For students, there is a range of measures that will help, gradually introduced from next year.
The parental income threshold for students to receive youth allowance will be lifted, and there will be a $3.1 billion package of reforms across four years including greater scholarship support.
68,000 students will be positively affected by incremental lowering of the age students are considered to be parentally dependent, from 25 years to 22 years by 2012.
The personal income threshold has been increased to $400 per fortnight, which gives recognition to the fact that so many students have to find part-time jobs to make ends meet.
There are new start-up scholarships valued at $2254 from 2012 and I am sure that these will prove popular and be an attractive inducement to many low SES students in particular, who are hovering over a decision to study or not.
There are also $4000 relocation scholarships being made available for students on Youth Allowance, as well as other sums to support low SES students specifically.
There will be support for postgraduate students. Equity and merit-based scholarships will be exempted from means testing.
In the context of the Sunshine Coast, still with lower than State and National averages of university attendance, the package of reforms should trigger many more people entering or returning to university.
This University will need to cater for an influx of more students and one of the major challenges for us will now be to attract the capital development money to accommodate the already increasing numbers of students, all of whom want world-class facilities.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor and President at the University of the Sunshine Coast.