Paying your way through Tertiary Education.

Paying your way through Tertiary Education.

Going to university can be an experience that is new, exciting, and bloody expensive. The cost of books, accommodation, parking, transportation and general living expenses are all facts of life for university students. In the interest of helping you get the balance right we have compiled a carefully constructed collection of the ten best tips for meeting the costs of a university education.

textbooks.png1) Don’t purchase textbooks first hand and don’t purchase textbooks unless you are sure you will need them.

Each year a list of books is produced for each subject. Supposedly these books are required for your success and any smart student should ensure they have all the books before the start of classes.This of course is Bullshit, with a capital B. Before you decide to purchase you should try to ascertain if all the books listed are really needed. If they are needed, check in the library to see if adequate copies exist, and if older editions are significantly different. Remember that second-hand is always cheaper and the books will not be less useful just because someone has read them before you. Check the noticeboards around the campus for people selling textbooks, if no one is advertising try sticking up your own notice listing the books you need and the prices you are willing to pay. If you do find that you need to purchase the book brand new, then keep the book in good condition and try to sell it the following year.

busk.png2) Consider busking as a possible money spinner.


If you have athletic ability, a musical talent or if you are prepared to spray paint yourself silver and stand motionless for hours at a time, then you have a guaranteed source of income. The corridors throughout the university are strangely empty of performers, this is a great shame since many students would appreciate nothing more than to be entertained by the raspy singing of a less fortunate student. Likewise, the library is a quiet and droll location that could easily be the site of acrobatic performances or an improvised stand up routine. Lecture theatres can also be utilised by the busking student . The few punctual students that exist will realise that there is a period of approximately ten minutes between when students begin to arrive for their lectures and the lecture begins to speak. This time is wasted, but could so easily be utilised for an impromptu song and dance followed by a quick whip around of the hat.



3) Ensure that you are getting the level of government support that you are entitled to.


As a university student you are entitled to government support for the normal duration of your degree plus 25%, this means that if you are enrolled in a 4 year degree you can receive a government payment for a period of 4 1/2 years. According to your age, cultural background, relationship status, living arrangement and employment income you will entitled to different payments. Information on the range of support payments available to students is available from Centrelink

bin.png4) Use the food redistribution vessels around campus.


Purchasing lunch at Uni can be a very expensive activity. The fiscally prudish and excessively organised amongst us cart their food around in small Tupperware cases until they feel the pains of hunger. These people are idiots. Throughout the university are scattered “food redistribution vessels”(FRVs). The way these FRVs work is that student who find themselves with a surplus of food deposit their leftovers into the sealed FRVs. Student who find themselves with a food deficit can withdraw food from the FRV. Students who find themselves in financial trouble would be well advised to suffer the social stigma attached and scrounge through the FRVs for their lunch.



5) Apply for all the scholarships that you are eligible for.


Every year a wide range of scholarships are offered at Flinders University. While a large proportion of these are for postgraduate study there are a number that supply a significant yearly payment to undergraduate students. The most common of the scholarships on offer are the Commonwealth Learning Scholarships. In 2007 these scholarships provide an annual payment of $2,120 for student resident in Adelaide and $4,240 for student resident in a country area. A full list of scholarships available to undergraduate Flinders University student is available from the scholarships office.

brain.png6) Sell your organs.


Selling body organs is an issue which is jam-packed with moral questions and ethical dilemmas. It is not our intention to engage in questioning the morality of organ sales, after all it is our and hopefully your intention to survive the university experience intact, or at least mostly intact. Organ sales can be useful was to gain much needed capital to engage fully at university. The sale of organs can provide the donator six thousand dollars cold hard cash and the knowledge that they have helped someone else in need.

miner.jpg7) Get a part-time job from a student friendly employer.


If you don’t have rich parents willing to bankroll your time at university, then some type of part time work is going to be needed. The current estimate is that the average University student works approximately 14 hours each week in paid employment. The actual amount of time that you will have available to engage in a part time job will depend on the contact hours of your course. It is important to ensure that any part time work that you do engage in doesn’t hinder your ability study and attend classes. Your first priority in looking for part-time work is to find an employer who understands that you are a University student and is willing to be flexible in regards to the hours you work around due dates and exam times.

8) Conduct novelty campus tours.


At the start of the academic year the university conducts free campus tours to show new and prospective students the campus grounds. Quite frankly these tours are somewhat boring. A midnight ghost campus tour would be far more exciting and could be quite profitable for the operator. Although there may not be any real campus ghouls available to show the supernatural tourists it would be quite easy to arrange a paranormal experience using merely a few fellow students and a couple of bed sheets.

9) Create a budget and stick to it.


budget.pngAlthough creating a budget sounds like a bit of a boring activity it can be the key to surviving. If you are on a limited income, as most uni students are, budgets can ensure that you are prepared for all bills and expenses.

The most simple of budgets involves adding up all your sources of income and then estimating your monthly expenses. If your total estimated expenses exceed your income then you have a problem, you can make your budget balance by increasing your income (working more) or spending less. It is always a good idea to ensure that each week you save a little money to pay for unexpected expenses or in case you find yourself unable to work for a short period of time.

Discarded backwash or free drinks?10) Don’t buy drinks, get them for free.


A night out drinking can be very expensive. However, this need not be so. It somewhat common for people to purchase drinks and not finish them. These ‘dregs’ are the key to an enjoyable but affordable night out. An enjoyable cocktail can be easily created in seconds and the usual 15-20 dollar cost can be avoided. It is advisable to avoid using the ‘dregs’ from individuals likely to have diseases transmittable through fluid exchange, failure to heed this warning can lead to future medical expenses and is therefore not fiscally responsible.

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