The Australian Vice-Chancellors' Committee (AVCC) has today released its report Australian University Student Finances 2006, a summary of findings from the national survey of students in Australia's 37 public universities conducted in 2006.
Chair of the AVCC Survey Steering Group and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Western Australia, Professor Alan Robson said that the findings from the survey indicate that on balance students are worse off today in financial terms than in 2000, especially full-time undergraduate students, which is adversely affecting their capacity to study effectively.
"The AVCC will use the findings of the 2006 survey to work with Government to identify the necessary changes - the time for action is now," Professor Robson said.
"This study reveals that 40 per cent of full-time undergraduates agreed that paid work adversely affects their studies, compared to 16 per cent of surveyed students in the 2000 study.
"The increased income from paid work has enabled students to narrow the gap between income and expenditure. Median income generated by full-time graduates was $11,000 per annum in 2006 and median expenditure $11,320, a gap of $320. In 2000 this gap was $4094.
However, our study shows that 24.4 per cent (10.7 per cent in 2000) of all undergraduates obtain a repayable loan in order to continue studying with an average loan amount of $4,720 ($4,000 in 2000)," Professor Robson said.
"Students are working long hours to support their time at university. Almost a quarter of full-time undergraduates reported that they regularly missed classes or other study commitments to attend paid employment.
"The paid employment students are entering into is, in the vast majority of cases, employment not related to their field of studies," Professor Robson said.
"The survey shows that postgraduate students are struggling to complete their programs due to financial pressure and other commitments. Nearly 50 per cent of full-time postgraduate coursework students had an annual budget deficit in 2006, compared to only 19.5 per cent of part-time students.
"This figure is concerning, particularly in the current economic climate where to ensure Australia's international competitiveness, there is a need for people to attain specialist skills", he said.
"The survey also reveals that Indigenous students are at a significantly greater disadvantage than other domestic students. As a student group, Indigenous students have a greater reliance on paid work; greater proportion of students frequently missing classes, and a significant increase in the proportion of full-time undergraduates saying
work is having an adverse effect on their studies," he said.
"If Australia is truly intent on ensuring optimal educational outcomes for Australian university students, it must provide those students with an adequate economic and living platform allowing them to focus on educational achievement," Professor Robson said.
The AVCC will use the findings of the 2006 student survey to work with all political parties to ensure that Australian university students have appropriate student income support during their time of study.
-ENDS-
Media Inquiries Callista Punch - phone: (02) 6285 8206 or 0400 166691
