Adelaide Student Politics

So, it’s been a few days since the Budget. And student groups got almost everything they asked for, and something they didn’t.

From Tuesday evening, it was made clear that the age of independence would be lowered progressively every year to 22.

Rural students didn’t miss out. From 2010 students forced to relocate for university will be able to access a $4000 relocation scholarship in their first year, and a further $1000 every year after that.

There were also a series of other policies put in place, like offering benefits to masters by coursework students (by 2012), increasing the parental income test threshold, and increasing the personal income test threshold.

Student activism sure works better with a Labor government.

Paris Dean, President of the SRC, described the budget on Left, Right and Centre on the night of its release as ‘undeniably a win for many students’. Dave Barrows (NUS President) was, on the night, similarly optimistic: ‘Thumbs up for massive education funding, thumbs up for massive student income support. 8 out of 10’.

That said, concerns have grown as more facts about the budget become known. Of particular concern is the eligibility criterion to prove independence prior to age. Previously, one could either earn 18 grand in 18 months, work 15 hours a week for two years, or work 30 hours a week for 18 months. The first two have been axed, leaving only the option of working 30 hours a week. NUS claims that students who do a gap year this year will now find themselves unable to access income support in 2010, and will be unable to defer for another 6 months. NUS has called for a grandfather clause to be extended to students doing a gap year this year, if they can't get the change in policy scrapped altogether. This change in criteria is expected to save the government $1.819 billion, and offset the cost of many of the other changes implemented with regards to student income support.

In other budget news, South Australia won’t be seeing any of the money from the Education Infrastructure Fund grants announced on Tuesday.