The number of Australians saddled with more than $100,000 in student debt has doubled in the past three years as the total debt number rises to $81bn, despite a plateau in the number of graduates entering the workforce. New data ...

Every year on June 1, student debt in Australia is indexed to inflation. In 2023, high inflation pushed the indexation rate to 7.1%, the highest since 1990. This year, if there is no policy change, student debt balances will be ...

The federal government on Saturday announced it will change the way HECS-HELP and apprenticeship support loans are indexed, backdated to June 1, 2023. The changes, under Universities Accord recommendations, will wipe last year's record 7.1 per cent indexation, along with ...

It looks increasingly likely that one of the most glaring inequities in the university system – the fact some publicly funded degrees cost students nearly four times as much as others – will not get an immediate fix when federal ...

Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Monday said the upcoming May 14 budget will consider providing relief for university student financial issues such as unpaid placements and disproportionately increasing HECS-HELP debts. Latest inflation numbers released on Wednesday say HECS repayments will increase ...

A HECS-HELP petition that urges the education minister to change the way HECS is indexed has gained 200,000 signatures in just 12 days. Started by Kooyong Independent MP Dr Monique Ryan on March 14, the petition now has 240,000 signatures, ...

Labor has pressed ahead in its redesign of the Job-ready graduates scheme, reversing fee hikes for honours students and introducing a new program to attract medical professionals into remote hospitals. Federal education minister Jason Clare introduced two new amendments to ...

Why do ten per cent of Australian students choose non-government (independent) institutions of higher education in preference to universities? With over 140,000 students enrolled in approximately 120 independent higher education institutions, this sector saves the Australian taxpayer the cost of ...

The architect of Australia’s original Higher Education Contribution Scheme – known as HECS – is calling on the government to roll out income and revenue-based loans to soften a likely world recession. Australia National University leading economist Professor Bruce Chapman ...

The federal government has scrapped plans to place a "lifetime cap" on student loans, but has been granted support from the lower house to reduce the repayment threshold. Legislation to lower the repayment threshold from $55,000 to $45,000 has been ...