VICTORIA University fees will rise thousands of dollars next year, leaving many graduates in debt.
Those studying hospitality, business and fitness courses will be worst off.
Students and parents have been left angered and confused by the changes which VU concedes are very complicated.
Seaholme mother Maree Kinniburgh said her daughter Abbie, a liberal arts student at the Footscray campus, this year paid under $250 for her course.
“[On November 1], we got a letter saying that next year her fees to continue with the diploma will be $4070.”
VU associate director Jane McLennan blamed the state government’s $300 million TAFE funding cuts for the fee hike.
“At the start of 2012 there was a concession rate for people enrolling in diploma courses who were under 25 with an eligible health care card, which meant people in Abbie’s position would have paid a total tuition fee of $100 per year.
“The concession rate, however, was also removed in the May budget for students commencing a course at a diploma level or above.
“If she starts a new course at diploma level or higher or is no longer eligible for a concession, no concession fee would be available, but she would be eligible to defer her tuition fees to VET fee help, which means she would not have to pay anything until she is earning more than $47,000.”
Ms McLennan said the average fee increase was 28 per cent.
State Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said fee rises were the sharp end of Premier Ted Baillieu’s TAFE funding cuts.
“Pushing up course fees will drive students out of further education in Melbourne’s west and consign them to the scrap heap.”
Higher Education and Skills Minister Peter Hall said students could defer repayment until they earned $47,000.
“Training subsidies in some courses have decreased and providers have opted to raise student fees, but where students are studying at a diploma or advanced diploma level, VET fee help enables students to defer payment until their income reaches a set amount.”
