Australia needs to look seriously into the way it funds universities.
Many gifted students are put off going to university because of the skyrocketing tuition fees, which for some courses at universities like USQ are in excess of $10,000 per year.
Those who do take the plunge and go are left with a crippling student HELP debt which is paid back after they graduate and for many years into their working lives.
It is no consolation to students to know of the egregious salaries of university vice-chancellors, whose pay is in excess of half a million dollars a year. What are they doing to help relieve the burden of skyrocketing costs?
It is my firm belief that university education should be free for the student, and for the universities, which are essentially major enterprises, to be funded by the taxpayer through a progressive taxation system.
Maybe there should be a higher education levy for high income earners, like the Medicare levy. That would help with the cost of funding the universities, public and private throughout Australia, and relieve the burden on students, many of whom can only dream of earning a decent income once they graduate.
Many gifted students are put off going to university because of the skyrocketing tuition fees, which for some courses at universities like USQ are in excess of $10,000 per year.
Those who do take the plunge and go are left with a crippling student HELP debt which is paid back after they graduate and for many years into their working lives.
It is no consolation to students to know of the egregious salaries of university vice-chancellors, whose pay is in excess of half a million dollars a year. What are they doing to help relieve the burden of skyrocketing costs?
It is my firm belief that university education should be free for the student, and for the universities, which are essentially major enterprises, to be funded by the taxpayer through a progressive taxation system.
Maybe there should be a higher education levy for high income earners, like the Medicare levy. That would help with the cost of funding the universities, public and private throughout Australia, and relieve the burden on students, many of whom can only dream of earning a decent income once they graduate.