Youth Allowance changes bad for students

BALLARAT'S two university student associations are worried proposed youth allowance scheme changes will leave students worse-off.The University of Ballarat and Australian Catholic University student associations say changes that will require students to work at least 30 hours a week for 18 months will disadvantage students in regional areas.Previously students had to earn a minimum $19,500 in 18 months to be eligible for assistance of up to $371 if they moved away from home.UB Student Association president Levi Laurie said students who began their 2008 gap year before the changes were announced could be left ineligible for assistance, because they had not worked the minimum 30 hours.Students in regional areas would be further disadvantaged because of a lack of work, he said."Regional students already do it hard, and it's another challenge for them to overcome," Mr Laurie said."It's pretty unfair in two ways. The kids who took the gap year this year have had the goalpoasts changed for them and it's unfair in terms of the eligibility."Now you have to work full-time and the nature of work students do is casual and part-time which is extremely hard to get in regional areas."ACU student association president Jessica Cannane said it would put more pressure on people to find money to attend university."It's putting extra pressure on them to work and there is that potential that they probably won't be able to come to university because they won't be able to afford it."The proposed youth allowance changes were announced in the May Federal Budget.Eligibility for students with wealthy parents was also tightened Ballarat MHR Catherine King said previously youth allowance had been "poorly targeted" and the new system would be fairer."People in regions do it tough ... the more generous family income tests will mean many more of them are eligible for support than otherwise would have been the case," she said.