NUSA -

Contents

Introduction
International Students
Part Time Students
Full-time Domestic Student Who Work
External Students
Universal Eligibility to Student Transport Concessions
Conclusion

Introduction

Throughout 2011, NUSA campaigned for universal eligibility to transport concessions for students studying at the University of Newcastle.

Currently, eligibility is restricted to unemployed full-time domestic students and some overseas exchange students. The following students are not eligible for a transport concession:

• • • • International Students
      • Part-time Students
        
      • Domestic Students who work (even one hour)
        
      • External Students
        

It is possible for both part-time students and domestic students who work to rort the system. Part-time students enrol in a full-time load, receive the concession sticker and then unenroll from additional courses. Meanwhile, domestic students who work omit to mention this fact. It is not currently possible for internaitonal students to rort the system.

The student movement has been campaign for years, in excess of twenty years for international students, to alter the law such that all students receive a concession. Last year, NUSA corresponded with NSW State MPs demanding universal eligibility. We participated in the NSW Legislative Assembly, Social Policy Committee, Inquiry into International Student Accommodation in NSW. In its report the committee recommended that the NSW State Government give international students transport concessions. NUSA also participated in the NUS national concession card campaign. Currently, a student who receives a concession in one state and is not always eligible for that concession when travelling interstate. NUS submitted a petition to State and Territory Ministers in October. The ministers agreed with the notion of a national concession card scheme and have established a working party to investigate its feasibility.

The following are extracts from our latest submission to MP Tim Owen, State Member for Newcastle. They outline our position on the different student groups. Attached to the submission were the case sheets which students filled out. These case sheets explained why each students who was not currently eligible for a concession, should be. Students who received a concession but were rorting the system signed off as Jane/John Doe.

Many thanks to all students who filled out case sheets and petitions. This would not have been possible without you.

This is an ongoing campaign and any student may become involved. Check out the NUSA website for updates and send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more info. Case sheets can still be filled out in the NUSA Building.

International Students

Currently, NSW is one of only two states in Australia that discriminates against international students by not giving them the same rights as domestic students to obtain transport concessions. In 2006, the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal substantiated three complaints that the NSW Government’s policy of not providing full-fee paying overseas university students with concession on public transport services contravened the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977(NSW) because it amounted to unlawful discrimination on the basis of nationality.

International students studying at the University of Newcastle Callaghan campus have been victims of robberies, break-ins, accommodation scams, verbal abuse and even physical attacks. Many of these have occurred in an area close to the Callaghan campus. International students often opt to walk to where they need to go, despite the fact that this compromises their safety, because they cannot afford to pay full fares on public transport

Many international students struggle to make ends meet. Because they are denied concession fares, they are thus forced to live within walking distance of the University in order to save money on transport. It is worth noting that the recent NSW Legislative Assembly, Social Policy Committee, Inquiry into International Student Accommodation recommended the introduction of transport concessions to international students as a means to encourage international students to seek accommodation further away.

The international student community studying at the Callaghan campus is convinced that a reduction in the rates of attack could be achieved by giving all international students transport concessions.

Overseas students contribute significantly to the state economy. According to an Access Economics analysis this contribution is almost $29,000 per student. In 2008, NSW received $173 million from international students in the form of GST.

Up until recently, Australia has enjoyed the benefits of the perception that Australia was a choice destination to study for overseas students. However, following the aforementioned attacks, this perception has since deteriorated, resulting in a decline in international student numbers.

At the Australian International Education Conference 2011, the Hon. Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, recommended that NSW and Victoria re-examine their approach to transport concessions for international students. NUSA submits that continuing to deny international students concession cards is seriously damaging Australia’s international reputation as a choice destination for international education.

By acknowledging that international students are primarily students who have a right to study in an equitable and safe environment in Australia and by implementing measures whereby this can be achieved, a reversal in the student number trend may be attained. A productive and simple start to this would be to uphold the decision of the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal and give all international students the right to obtain transport concessions.

A part-time student is a student not enrolled in a full-time load. There are many reasons that students are classified as part-time; they may have other commitments such as family, they cannot afford to study full-time and as such must seek employment to get through their degree or they have reached a point in their program where they need not take the full-load to complete their degree.

Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, in her response to our initial letter stated that part-time students are not eligible for transport concessions because, 

“...they are considered to be better placed to be able to participate in paid employment and, therefore, cover their own transport costs.”

NUSA submits that this is not the experience had by many part time students at Newcastle. Because the University of Newcastle is a regional University, employment opportunities for students here differ from those studying at Sydney based Universities. Being better placed to obtain paid employment is no guarantee of paid employment. This statement assumes that part-time students have more time in which to work, it does not acknowledge or address any of the issues which result in students reducing to a part-time load.

Some students are in a situation where they are ineligible for student income support and therefore have to work part time in order to support themselves and cover their expenses. Consequently, they are unable to dedicate the necessary time to their studies, yet given the type of work students are employed in (for example retail and hospitality), many students find they are earning little more than student income support anyway.

Many part-time students have families and are unable to commit to full-time study because they must care for their children. Studying part-time and looking after a family leaves little time for paid employment.

The quantity of face-to-face teaching students receive varies according to the type of course. Students studying some Arts subjects typically have just a couple of hours face-to-face teaching time for a course whilst a science student may have an additional five hours a week due to laboratories and tutorials. A part-time student may be a student taking a 50% load, and it is quite likely, and frequently happens, that such a student may find they are required to attend class at some point during each day of the week. Even if these students could work, finding work is no easier for them than for a full-time student.

Currently, some part-time students are able to rort the system and claim a transport concession. This is done by enrolling in a full-time load, obtaining a concession card, then un-enrolling shortly after without surrendering the card. There was a significant number of these students who were in this situation and were reluctant to fill in NUSA case sheets. Of those that did, the pseudonym, “John/Jane Doe” was used.

NUSA does not believe that students should be placed in a situation where they believe the must rort the system in order to obtain a transport concession. These students need the concession and simply cannot afford to pay full fare for transport. NUSA also submits that the fact that this is happening on such a large scale indicates the level of respect students have for the eligibility criteria for student transport concessions. Every person NUSA approached suggested that the eligibility criteria were unfair and unrealistic.

Currently, domestic students are not eligible for a student concession card if they are working in any kind of paid employment, or in receipt of any remuneration.

Given the increasing cost of living and other costs associated with studying (such as textbooks), it is very common for domestic students to work part time, whilst studying full time. Increasingly, students are forced to work to pay their bills which means that they cannot fully focus on their studies. Restricting their access to transport concessions is a further impediment on their already tight budgets.

The response from Minister Berejiklian suggests that eligibility for transport concessions is based on ability to work and financially support the cost of transport. However, NUSA submits that if a full-time student is working, it is because they need the money to support their living costs. It does not imply they have a sufficient income to cover transport costs. A student may be only working 1 hour a week and would fall foul of the regulations for eligibility for transport concessions.

Like part-time domestic students, some full-time working students are able to rort the system and claim a transport concession. They simple refrain from informing any person that they are employed when applying for a concession. As a result, a number of these students were reluctant to fill in NUSA case sheets, and those that did used the pseudonym, “John/Jane Doe”.

NUSA does not believe that students should be placed in a situation where they believe they must rort the system in order to obtain a transport concession. These students do this because they need the concession. This should also indicate the low level of respect students have for the eligibility criteria for student transport concessions.

Restricting access to transport concessions for external students is absurd. These are students who study at institutions external to NSW. At Newcastle, we had a case of an external student who was studying a full-time course through correspondence at the University of Western Australia. In addition, this student was studying a part-time course at the University of Newcastle. This student was effectively studying for a 1.5 study load, but was receiving no transport concession.

NUSA recognises that travel concessions fall within the jurisdiction of the states and therefore may differ from state to state. However, NUSA submits that allowances should be made for students who may be studying via correspondence at an interstate university, but living in NSW.

The University of Newcastle is a regional university drawing students from a large area including many rural areas. The public transport system is not as coherent or effective as that found in the metropolitan area of Sydney. NUSA submits that increasing access to transport concessions would result in more students using public transport instead of private vehicles which would benefit the students and the environment, would relieve pressure on parking facilities at the University, and would contribute to the NSW state economy.

Minister Berejiklian’s correspondence suggests that eligibility for student transport concessions is based entirely upon perceived financial means. There are many domestic full-time students who do not work and as such receive a concession who are financially placed in a much better situation than international, part-time or domestic full-time working students. NUSA submits that if travel concessions are to be determined based on a students’ capacity to pay, then all students should be means tested in order to accurately ascertain this information.

NUSA submits that the purpose of travel concessions is to recognise that students have a low earning capacity and therefore require assistance with travel costs.

Providing all students with a travel concession is an investment in the future of Australia, as these students will eventually have not only a higher earning capacity, but also a higher chance of obtaining full time employment and therefore will be contributing significantly to the NSW and Australian economy.

NUSA reiterates our request that you adopt a position of support for universal eligibility to student transport concessions in NSW.

Heather Richards
NUSA President

Deahnna Richardson
NUSA Education Officer