Higher Education Deregulation: Look at the numbers not spin...College funds coming to Australia

Higher Education Deregulation: Look at the numbers not spin...College funds coming to Australia. Meaningful changes in the budget: (1) Fee to be set by Elite Universities (2) Rate charged to move from inflation to bond yield (3) Time of interest rate charge hitting the student moved from earning above threshold to starting the course. Let us look at the effects through an Engineering degree. Conclusion - Current Engineering degree costs $34k growing at inflation (i.e. 2.5%) while the proposed changes will deliver $135k with private providers and $203k with elite universities growing at bond yield (i.e. 5%). Expect US style college savings funds to be started by middle to high income families under the new policies. Students from low to middle income families will be priced out of elite universities. This will have flow-on structural effect on future generation's ability to afford property and drive them towards a rental/unit lifestyle.