“Debt relief is welcome, but it won’t keep students in programs where they feel unsafe, unsupported, or invisible.”
The Albanese Government’s recent move to wipe out 20% of student HECS-HELP debt is a welcome financial reprieve, a symbolic and practical gesture recognising the burden students carry. But for many Indigenous higher degree by research (HDR) students, debt is only part of the challenge. Two separate research projects — one that surveyed students, and another that surveyed supervisors — point to the same pressing concern: mental health and wellbeing.
The policy context
On July 23, 2025 the Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 per cent) Bill 2025 was introduced into Parliament to reduce…