The Australian Higher Education Scheme (HECS) was a landmark piece of public policy. It offers students the chance to undertake higher education and repay the cost only once they reach an earnings threshold. But HECS – these days called the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) – has become an election issue following the release of a recent report showing sharp increases in HECS costs over the next decade.
In this Policy Forum Pod, Professor Bruce Chapman – the architect of Australia’s HECS program, and Associate Professor Tim Higgins of the ANU College of Business and Economics, discuss HECS and answer the question of whether it needs help.