Savings Count
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday February 2, 2004
Handouts, discounts and freebies: your guide to getting by when funds are limited.
For many, university's a journey paved with second-hand clothes and far too many instant noodles. As a student, you'll probably be living on much less money than you'd like. But there's plenty of help to get you through until graduation. You just need to know where to look.
The scholarships office at your university is a good place to start. While most students can't avoid paying HECS or full fees, there are a number of government, university and industry-funded scholarships around. The Commonwealth Learning Scholarships scheme, under which students from disadvantaged and rural backgrounds can apply for scholarships of $2000 and $4000 a year to help with study and accommodation expenses, begins this year. Richard Andrew, of the University of Sydney's scholarships unit, says students "just don't know what's available a lot of the time. We have scholarships worth $5000 or $6000 and we get fewer than 10 applications from a pool of 40,000 students".
Centrelink (www.centrelink.gov.au) may also come to the rescue with ongoing income support. If you're 24 or under, you can apply for Youth Allowance. However, the payment is subject to a parental income test unless Centrelink considers you independent. Once you're 25 you can apply for Austudy, while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students of any age can apply for Abstudy payments. The amount you'll receive under these benefits varies according to your income and circumstances. If you're on Youth Allowance or Abstudy, you may also be eligible for rent assistance. And in an emergency, Centrelink can provide a one-off advance of
up to $500, which you can pay back slowly from future benefits.
If you're from the bush or interstate and you've come to Sydney to study, you can apply for the Centrelink fares allowance. That means Centrelink will pay your fare home to see the folks twice a year. You can travel in as much luxury as you like, but you'll only be reimbursed for the cost of the cheapest transport option.
Even if you don't qualify for fares allowance, full-time students can get a public transport concession for cheap fares on local public transport and long-haul train and bus trips. Look for the application form when you enrol.
For University of NSW arts student Bess Robinson, the transport concession saves at least $20 a week. "I'd be stuffed without it. I use public transport every day. It's a really big saving."
Another winner for Robinson is the Bare Koala internet-access card she buys from the campus newsagency. For the student price of $13.95, the card has an access number entitling the holder to a month of unlimited internet access. "After 30 days it just cuts out and you have to buy another one, but it's great for people who don't have a credit card, like me. I wouldn't be able to afford the $30 a month or so the unlimited access normally costs."
There are big savings to be had on magazine subscriptions and computer software through discount brokers Student Services Australia (www.studentservices.com.au). General manager Andrew Maloney says software and magazine publishers want to win students' loyalty so they'll continue buying in the future at full price.
"They've said, 'We know these guys don't have a lot of money but we want them to get used to our product', so they come to the party with a big discount," Maloney says.
Jennifer Waters, of the University of Sydney's student union, says there are lots of great deals funded by the union, which students join automatically when they enrol: from the cheap movie and theatre tickets it sells, to subsidised meals like the hot meat-and-veg lunch for $4.
Attending O week is a good way to get free stuff, Waters says. "There are a lot of prizes and competitions - movie passes, mobile phones, some people even give away computers," she says. The union also gives out showbags with information and product samples - "things like free condoms, free pens, free magazines".
Macquarie University's welfare officer, Larissa Burns, says universities have a whole range of free and discounted services that can help students get by. Like most other universities, Macquarie provides a free counselling service, a bulk-billing medical centre and an interest-free student loan scheme, which includes emergency loans and some non-repayable grants.
Becoming involved in clubs and societies can also be a good way to save. "They provide a lot of discounted activities. They often hold barbecues on campus, so clubs are giving away free food, or very cheap food," Burns says.
Bargain basement
Get a basic tax return done free through the ATO's Tax Help scheme for low-income earners. Call 132 861 for locations.
Flash your student card for a concession at the cinema.
Apple Computers has a discounted "education" price. www.apple.com.au/education
Big savings on subscriptions to more than 70 magazine titles at www.studentmagazines.com.au
For textbooks, get 10 per cent off at the Co-op Bookstore for a one-off $25 membership fee. Or visit the new book-trading site www.textbookexchange.com.au - a free service where you can list old textbooks for sale and look for books on your new reading list.
The education licensing system provides huge savings on software, up to $1500 on some packages. www.educationsoftware.com.au
Discounted software is also available through Co-op Bookstores.
Most banks offer low or no-fee accounts for students.
© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald