Ngaire Bogemann was in year 12 when the Morrison government announced drastic changes to increase the cost of arts degrees by 113%.
Now, more than four years later, she’s among hundreds of thousands of students who will have to wait until after the next election for any reprieve on their now-$50,000 arts degrees – despite the policy being slammed by Labor at the time as “deeply flawed”, “irrational” and an act of “economic and cultural vandalism”.
This month the federal government announced that, if it were re-elected next year, it would cut all existing student debts by 20%, saving the average graduate $5,500. It would also raise the minimum repayment threshold from $54,000 to $67,000.
The 20% cut would be a one-off, and…
