Students or Paupers? - The shocking truth behind student government assistance.

Earlier this week, Universities all across the country handed out free two minute noodles to students. This was done in a bid to draw the nation’s attention to the appalling wage students are given by the government. Two minute noodles were chosen, as it is the stereotypical food university students live on whilst they are studying. There were posters stationed near the noodles, claiming that the average Youth Allowance payment is 48 per cent below the poverty line. Even people on the Dole can claim more money, and they generally don not have a direction in life.

Students were outraged that the government holds their plight in so little regard. There were many discussions around my campus, as to how abysmal the lack of government funding is for students – especially considering they claim to want more of our children to complete a tertiary education. What the government fails to consider, however, is that many of these students will not be able to attend universities and other institutions due to a lack of funding. The average wage for a student on Youth Allowance is $248 a fortnight. Yes, a fortnight.

I am relatively lucky, as I still live at home and do not have to pay rent or utilities, or buy my own food. Many students do not have this luxury, which means they would generally only be able to afford the basics. There are some weeks when I struggle to get by, and this is someone who does not have to pay for much. By the time I put petrol in my car – to get me to and from Uni – and put a bit of credit on my phone, I am broke again. I have not been able to afford text books for the past two years, which makes me feel as though my education has suffered, and studying at a small Uni with no library to speak of, I can not access the books there either: Simply because we do not have them. But if I were working, I would feel as though my education were still under sufferance, as I would not have as much time or energy to put into producing the quality assignments I need in order to get by. Uni students do not actually want to work. They only work because they do not have any other choice.

One of my good friends and I were talking, and she is always joking with me about how my car is falling apart. When we had a discussion about how much the average student earns, she asked me what I got from the government. When I responded, her reaction was nothing short of shock. She sat quiet for a while before replying with “Well no bloody wonder you can’t afford to service your car!”. I dread to think what some of these other students have to go through in order to have a functioning vehicle. Her partner had joined the conversation by this point, and he informed me that he pays four times the amount I earn, in tax each fortnight.

The point of the matter is that the government needs to look at their student funding. If they gave students adequate assistance to complete their tertiary education, then more students would be able to complete their education. It is too late for people like me (and believe me, there are many more who are a lot worse off than I am), but there needs to be something done to ensure the future of our students. I understand the government can not just pull a couple of million dollars from their arse, but they should look at re-financing to provide students with the assistance they need and deserve.