TAFE students fear fee increase burden
Posted
The South West TAFE Student Association is concerned Victorian Government reforms will shift costs onto students.
More teachers will be employed and 120,000 extra places created as part of a revamp of the TAFE system.
Fees for diploma and certificate courses will be increased and Higher Education Contribution Scheme-style loans introduced.
Student association spokesman John Sutherland says it means increased debts for graduates.
"With it coming in it's going to be a thing that students have spoken about in the past, this fear that it could be a debt that could work against them," he said.
The University of Ballarat says some people may be deterred by increased TAFE course fees.
The deputy vice-chancellor, Terry Lloyd, says the university will ensure people from disadvantaged backgrounds are not shut out of its TAFE courses.
"We'd just like to find out the detail of what's involved in those higher fees, but there are provisions to support anyone who's going to be particularly disadvantaged by those," he said.
"We'd like to look very carefully at those arrangements as well."
