FED: Students paying too much for degrees:HECS architect

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2006
FED: Students paying too much for degrees:HECS architect

The architect of the HECS scheme has warned graduates are paying too much for their
university degrees .. following the release of figures showing students are getting more
than 50-thousand dollars into debt.

New Department of Education figures confirm that students are leaving university with
debts much higher than the average 10-thousand-500 dollars.

Figures in The Australian newspaper today show more than one thousand students finished
their university studies owing more than 50-thousand dollars .. and more than five thousand
students left uni with debts of more than 40-thousand.

BRUCE CHAPMAN .. who developed the Higher Education Contribution Scheme for the Hawke-Keating
Labor government .. yesterday disputed the prime minister's claim students only paid about
25 per cent of the cost of a degree.

The paper quotes Mr CHAPMAN saying the HECS charge level shouldn't go any higher ..

and that we're close to the point where the contribution students are forced to make is
too high.

AAP RTV cdh/it/psm/

KEYWORD: HECS (SYDNEY)

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