Turnbull government cuts to education have caused an uproar among University of New England students

But, it’s Australian students who will be expected to pay more as the Turnbull government slashes funding to universities.

University of New England Student Association president Dale Finch said the price hike has caused an upset among students.

“They should be putting more money into higher education, there’s been a big push in the last few years to become the ‘innovation nation’, the only way you can create change and research technology is to put money in – not take it out,” Mr Finch said.

The HECS debt repayment threshold will be lowered from the current $55,874 to $42,000 and students will pay more for their degrees.

“Graduating students are already under enough financial pressure as it is, it will certainly deter some students,” Mr Finch said.

Mr Finch expects the cuts to affect degree offerings.

“Without the right numbers courses could be removed, we have already seen that with the removal of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree and I know there’s some concern with other degrees,” he said.

“It’s starting to become a topic of conversation among students, there’s that fear of the unknown.”

University of New England vice-chancellor Annabelle Duncan said the budget is a new barrier to education.

“We believe that everyone should have access to a quality education, we will help prospective students understand the practical reasons for taking on the expense of a degree with us,” Ms Duncan said.

Ms Duncan said the cuts could have implications for Australia’s educated workforce.

“I don’t think government should be putting extra barriers in front of higher education,” she said.

“That especially applies to the regions, where the percentage of people choosing to attend university significantly lags urban centres, and contributes to the entrenchment of rural and regional disadvantage.”