Tertiary and Continuing Attempting University...

[Eva88]

OK so, i finished year 12 in 06, no idea what i wanted to do or study so got a full time job to pass the time by and have some money on the side.
I was doing receptionist work and that was just boring so i went into Child Care.
I've since then done my studies and have a Diploma in Children's Services but there isn't much money to be made in the industry directly and none of it appeals to me as a long term career.
Hence my decision to perhaps go to university and most likely study Midwifery.
I have a few financial commitments which i feel would prevent me studying full time and so would do part time on campus. I strongly believe i'm not eligible for any centrelink payments.

Also how exactly to the fee's work. I've researched the sites back to front and cannot understand its structure.

I would like some people experiences either with this course or studying and working part time and how it worked for them.
I'm 21, at home with parents, both work, one 3 days a week the other relief teaching - not always guaranteed shifts.
Thanks

 

[J_Moore]

Here's how fees work...

At all unis (bar Notre Dame and Bond and maybe a few others), all undergraduate courses are "Commonwealth Supported Places" (CSP).

This means that the government will help pay for your degree. They do this in two ways...

1) They pay most of the cost for you outright (usually about 70%, from memory). You don't owe them anything for this 70%.

2) You're required to pay for the remaining 30%, which works out to a few grand per semester for most degrees. The government initially pays for this, too, but you owe them for this part.

You can either pay this amount upfront each semester (in which case you receive a bit of a discount) or you can choose to defer the payments to tax, which means the government will cover your 30% liability for you while you study, and you'll start paying them back once you're working again, and earning over a certain amount per year. This is called a HECS-HELP loan.

Once you're earning enough, the government will start taking out some money out of your paycheck (basically, it's like an additional tax) until you've paid the loan off. Payments are capped at around 3-4% of your gross income, and the loan doesn't accrue interest (although it's linked to inflation).

Full details about all of this are available here .

The basic points, though are...

1) You usually don't need to pay anything up front if you don't want to.

2) You'll only start paying the loan back once you're earning money, and you can take as long as you need to pay it back.

 

[Andronicus]

while you are living at home still i think its a great chance to study full time and get as much of the course out of the way in a short amount of time. going part time can make it drag out and your situation could change making it even harder to finish the course in the future. that being the case, full time for a while means that if things get more full on with pracs and things later in the course you are able to drop the hours knowing you have already completed a year or 2 of the course and will dramatically reduce the units left.

if you still need to work, the first year or 2 of nursing will allow you to do that in some part time capacity, possibly in the field you are studying.

 

[Power King]

I say go for it.

J Moore wrote a good response. You don't have to pay anything up front if you don't want to. Just start paying the government back after you've graduated, found a job, and are earning over a certain amount (they take it out of your pay). Given you've got money saved up and still live at home, this means you can focus well on your studies.

Yours is also a story that demonstrates how you weren't sure about what you wanted to do immediately after high school, but with a few years of life's experiences under your belt, you've found something you're passionate about initiating a career in.

Good thread.

 

[Eva88]

Thanks heaps for those responses so far! Thanks JM for the fee structure, definately understand it now.
I'm going to talk to my parents about going full time, they're usually very supportive and would help me out if needed. I hope things haven't changed though

Full time uni... All day every day? It depends on the units/courses you're doing doesn't it? I know someone who had a class until 7pm. I'd be going to Uni SA, City East i think it would be.

 

[chenyan]

Full time uni is not all day, every day. With good timetable planning you can usually secure a day or two off. Contact hours are what you need to look for to determine how much time at uni each week you will be required to attend.

 

[Power King]

Thanks heaps for those responses so far! Thanks JM for the fee structure, definately understand it now.
I'm going to talk to my parents about going full time, they're usually very supportive and would help me out if needed. I hope things haven't changed though

Full time uni... All day every day? It depends on the units/courses you're doing doesn't it? I know someone who had a class until 7pm. I'd be going to Uni SA, City East i think it would be.

It depends entire on which degree you're doing, as that then dictates which subjects you're doing, and what the contact hours are for that subject.