Going to uni can seem very expensive, but it is important to consider it as an investment in your own future. Remember that you can defer your course fees and pay them later, once you have started earning a good income.
There is also a range of scholarships that could help you with the cost of your course. Some scholarships give you money towards accommodation and a living allowance. Check with the universities you’re interested in to find out their range of scholarships and how to apply. You should always apply for scholarships even if you think you don’t have a chance, because you never know your luck!
If your family has a low income, you might be eligible for Government assistance such as Youth Allowance or Abstudy. Many students also have part-time or casual jobs to support themselves while studying. Just be careful that you don’t do so many hours at your job that your study suffers.
Katie
I didn’t have any idea about uni in year 10, but given that I hated going to school, I couldn’t imagine that I would have enjoyed doing even more years of study than I had to! I left school after year 11 to go to TAFE, and then worked in many different jobs (I even worked in a morgue!). After about 10 years, I decided that I wanted to get into better jobs than I had been in. It was really hard to do this, and thought that a uni degree in something broad (such as arts) might help me to access interesting, well paid jobs. I didn’t have any money, and thought that this meant that I’d never go to uni. A friend told me that I could probably get ‘Austudy’: Government assistance that would pay me to study. As soon as I knew this, I started calling unis to see if they would take me.