fee paying/hecs (1 Viewer)

[justnothing]

hey guys, just a quick question...

generally, in terms of the overall cost (for any degree), what is the difference between the total costs of being a fee paying student or HECS?

I realise that fee paying requires up front payment etc, but when compared to HECS, do u end up paying more at the end of the day?

 

[Mambomeg]

yes you pay heaps more. Just how much depends on the course, but for vet science (one of the most expensive) fee paying is $28,000 per year, while HECS is $8000 per year. Most courses Fee paying are between $10-20,000 per year, while HECS is between $3-8,000 per year. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!

 

[frodo]

im not sure about the end amount that you pay but the only reason FEE courses cost so much per year is that you are paying up front instead of having the amount deferred until you reach a certain income level. when you reach that income you start paying back the government for your tuition so you end up paying the same (roughly? i think)

 

[Lainee]

Paying for a full-FEE place means that you pay the full costs of your course - ie. the government does not contribute to a portion of your fees like for HECS. That's why FEE places cost so much more than HECS places. The difference has little to do with deferring or anything, just two different types of placements offered by some unis.

 

[justnothing]

thanks people...

yea i was thinking the same thing as Frodo...that basically the difference between fee paying and HECS is that instead of repaying ur debt once u start earning a certain income, u pay for the course (and thus have no debt) up front and whilst u undertake it. (and that basically u pay the same amount either way?)

 

[doe]

no, you pay more with full fee.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Pay full fee, do ur bit for our uni's.

 

[Generator]

Hmmm... Basically, you have HECS places, and some unis also have full-fee places. Now, with a HECS place the government pays for the greater part of the degree and you have the option of deferring your HECS liability or making an upfront payment (now with a 20% discount). With a full-fee place, you pay through the nose for your place in its entirety.

Most importantly... There is a difference between HECS upfront payments and full-fee payments. Far too often people seem to be confused. The problem, I think, is in people saying that full-fee payments must be made upfront (something that is true, but also far from helpful given the existence of HECS upfront payments).


Edit: I hate it when another member adds their own little spiel to a thread that has already been addressed, but I think that my final paragraph may be useful.

 

[doe]

wish degrees were free

 

[justnothing]

dont we all!....many thanks guys