60% of Uni Students live below the Poverty Line (1 Viewer)

[withoutaface]

My friend said USYD fees are like 600 bucks

That's correct, although I think the financial composition of UWS vs USyd might be more related to the fact that UWS doesn't tend to draw people from the richer areas of Sydney, while USyd might have people from Blacktown etc, for every one of them there'd be at least one from the Northern Beaches or similar.

 

[Korn]

we only pay 180 tho. I think we get what our money is paying. I use the uni gym quite a bit and took advantage of the free fridays last month as wel, ive been to every UWS connect social event this year at my campus as well as the harbour cruise and drink the pub dry, i use the free shuttle bus quite a lot when i dont feel like driving, and i use the sporting equipment they provide for free to play tennis and stuff.

You have a gym?
Free Fridays? what are they
You have to pay individually for UWS connect events and they are a totaly ripoff I was looking at the pub thing and its was like $20 for 1 drink voucher
What sporting equipment?

 

[Korn]

That's correct, although I think the financial composition of UWS vs USyd might be more related to the fact that UWS doesn't tend to draw people from the richer areas of Sydney, while USyd might have people from Blacktown etc, for every one of them there'd be at least one from the Northern Beaches or similar.

Dude you still need to be smart to get into usyd unless ur full-fees so alot of rich ppl who are not smart enough may go to UWS

 

[White Rabbit]

NTB --> Yes, it was my choice to move out of home and I accept that. HOWEVER. for every one of me theres about 5 who had no choice. They could have remained on the land (which is making oh so much money at the moment) or in remote communities, but then what? They came to uni so they'd be provided with better job outcomes, and they HAVE to move out of home, because the come from Warren, of Brewarrina, Cobar or Bourke. There is no option there, and they find themselves in the same situation as everyone else. Thats why Uni's in rural areas have such high living on campus rates. And go to the city? If they want to remain living in the bush once they graduate, Sydney will provide them with very little. I don't know how teaching pracs work in Sydney uni, but here they elect which school/town they wish to work in. Nursing pracs can be chosen from mid 2nd year, which is something you can not do in Sydney --> you need to do pracs in the Uni's Area Health Service. Furthermore, Ag. is much better at places like CSU Wagga or UNE --> Sydney uni's can not compete there. So, for many, there is no other option.


VSU --> Our fees were pretty low, but we got alot out of them.
--> our gym is free
--> saftey bus which runs between Campus, off campus uni run accommodation and the pubs downtown.
--> grog isn't cheap at the UniBar, Panthers is a bit cheaper. But it's still decent, and the gigs we get are pretty good too.
--> subsidised sports

Theres plently more, but just the above already covers what I paid in Union fees. CSUSAB gives us heaps, it's something I don't want to loose.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

You can't always get what you want, sometimes u have to make some sacrafices.
It seems to me that people are getting something fairly 'luxurious' and complaining about it, it's disgusting.

 

[ogmzergrush]

Mmm, yeah. I still agree, in that anyone complaining about being hard done by but who is at Uni probably shold take time out to look at those around them who can't afford to be there in the first place.

Of course, not that I mean to imply that everyone complaining here is guilty of this, but I wonder how people having genuine financial difficulty supporting themselves (and/or supporting their families), who work multiple jobs, etc, and who aren't at Uni, feel about poor, hard-up Uni students who need to work AND study just so they can afford to get hammered, participate in "campus life", etc. I realise some people at Uni do it tough and are in genuine difficulty, but I also know that some people who I've met are cockheads, in that they complain about having to eat 2 minute noodles for dinner every night of the week, then admit that they only do it so they can save their money for drinking on the weekend or whatever their recreation of choice may be.

 

[Generator]

I don't think that it's that fair to criticise those who are doing it tough yet are more than willing to involve themselves in some sort of campus activity at the same time. Their idea of a university experience is clearly much different to your own, so try not to take what you see as being the 'high ground' when arguing against their complaints (which may or may not be valid) merely because you aren't seeking a social life through the university.

 

[ogmzergrush]

As I said fairly clearly, or at least thought I did, my point is simply that people shouldn't complain about having no food etc, if they themselves are the ones that decide to spend the money on something *other* than food. I like to call it living within your means.

There was no mention of "high-ground", and I certainly don't mean to imply that so I don't really know where you got that from. I just think it's ridiculous that people can make the decision to spend their money on a certain thing (be it alcohol, movies, or the annual medieval society drag party, I don't care), then complain because they can't have something else too.

I want new clothes, a house to call my own, and a private jet. Perhaps I should buy those, then complain about having no disposable income all of a sudden (Not to mention extensive debt). After all, I'm just doing something that is important to me. People wouldn't be right to criticise me when I started complaining about how I had no money all of a sudden?

 

[Jumbo Cactuar]

It's amazing how little you spend if you never spend anything at campus.

I get my fair share of benefits from compulsory student unionism, like sports insurance and physio.

Unigym is still hella expensive and so not within my means.

For sporting clubs its going to be really hard to get new members under VSU if every member has to pay an extra $140+ membership.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

It's a fair comment to say that when people have time to party and spend their money on other things, they shouldn't come on here complaining that they have no 'food' and that they're living below the 'poverty line'.

 

[SuGa BunI =D]

sorry hun, i disagree with you. u must empathize! uni student doesn’t mean that they cant have a social life in order to feed their mouth. its humans nature to wants everything; i think it’s a matter of balancing your income and spending

 

[Jumbo Cactuar]

sorry hun, i disagree with you. u must empathize! uni student doesn’t mean that they cant have a social life in order to feed their mouth. its humans nature to wants everything; i think it’s a matter of balancing your income and spending

This thread should be about people in genuinely poverish circumstances. It isn't fun to have to spend nearly all your money on food and have very little for luxury, but it is devastating when all your money can't even buy all your food.

Maybe people should take a step back and see how fortunate they are to have an education and the potential to feed themselves.

A shallow person argues that fun requires money. If the most intelligent(*) 20% of us can't live within our means what hope is there for any of society?


* best exam fudgers really

 

[withoutaface]

The most intelligent (or those who are too naive to realise how shit uni really is, take your pick) of us end up earning a higher salary in the long term anyway.

 

[Iron]

The commonwealth was plenty generous this year with learning scholarships (for the red-neck/[haired], low socio-economic types -like yours truely). I understand that they plan to be further plenty giving in the terms of this program of which I have vaguely outlined in the future. So don't be shy. Ask your government for money today, you have to pay it all back a million times over some day anyway.

 

[braindrainedAsh]

The trouble with those learning scholarships is that you have to be on the full amount of government assistance to be eligible for them anyway (at least at UTS).... sometimes the people who are struggling the most aren't eligible for youth allowance, and hence not for the CLS either.

I'm currently doing research in to this issue for a feature article I am writing about the senate inquiry in to student income support..... here are some more links with information you may find interesting.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/studentincome04/submissions/sublist.htm

Those are submissions to the inquiry.

http://www.bsl.org.au/pdfs/BSL_submission_Senate_student_income_inquiry.pdf

This is the submission from the Brotherhood of Saint Laurence, it's pretty interesting and sums up a lot of the issues.

A press release from the Democrats: http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=4582&display=1

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/21/1079823238938.html

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/21/1079823234911.html

Just some more information for your perusal/to debate.

 

[Skillo]

Skillo - Stop making assumptions about me, I could address the point I made and defend it in the context of the claim that 60% of students live below the poverty line, but Instead I feel I should defend this personal attack on me first.



I was born in a Mt Druitt Housing comission home, I attended Mt Druitt High School for a while.
My Parents used to be on assistance, however have run a company and now I guess I am in a pretty well off situation so I don't have to work/go to uni.

It's just a lot of your posts annoy me because you come across as a person that doesn't have the problems of a lot of people, you seem pretty well off...and that's not just from this thread.

And you just said that you are pretty well off now...we are talking about the now...aren't we? Or are we talking about when you were 5?

*Cue Violins*
*Cue Peter Barry Roaming the streets of Mt Druitt*
*Cue Voice Over and Slow Motion Reconstruction*

Oooohh! My heart BLEEDS for you NTB. MWAH HA HAAA

You're being an over-dramatic bitch, realise what I was saying. I'm sick of the people complaining WHO AREN'T IN REAL TROUBLE.

Oh hello. For the first time ever someone has called me a bitch on this forum. I'm not in real trouble I admit and I'm sorry if I made myself sound like I am...that's true. But don't underestimate my situation or anyone else's on the forum.
Calm down

 

[2sense]

Don't go to university. As Mr howard once said mor people should doing apprenticeships for trade. That will solve you Uni fee problem.

 

[katie tully]

Hay guys ... itt: people whinging about not being able to afford uni and eating but supporting $400 union fees because that one free sausage sizzle a year can be rationed.

 

[Azamakumar]

paging starcraftmazter

 

[katie tully]

It's hardcore reading some of the posts, eh. I doubt much has changed in 4 years though, uni students are as povo as ever.

Should do a poll to see if the introduction of VSU did anything to alleviate the financial burden.