00:00 Lillipurl Coffee graduated high school last year from a pre-university program, but didn't
00:07 apply for a tertiary offer. The Brisbane 18-year-old would love to study arts, but is worried about
00:15 HECS debt and job prospects.
00:17 Every older person tells you that uni is the time of your life. You meet so many new people,
00:23 you have so many new experiences and you find yourself through uni. But that isn't an option
00:29 for kids these days.
00:31 Some academics say degrees don't buy what they used to.
00:35 Absolutely, you're better off going to university, but maybe not in the same way that you would
00:39 be 30 years ago.
00:42 Adelaide High School graduate Harper Forsyth received an ATAR in the high 90s and got offers
00:47 for early admission, but is working this year, saving money to study humanities interstate
00:53 in 2025.
00:55 The reality is what I want to study is not invested in.
00:58 Oscar Wadsley is applying to the Defence Force to save before studying law. He wants to be
01:03 sure it's the right choice.
01:05 The people are taking gap years and working through those just because they don't want
01:11 to be diving into something which won't work for them and then have to pay that off over
01:16 30, 40, 50 years.
01:19 In 1989, 20% of Australians were university students at age 19. In 2007 it was a third.
01:26 By 2016 it was 40%, which has plateaued all the way through to 2024.
01:32 Some graduates feel they don't have as many options as previous generations.
01:37 And now that we are adults and we are here, you've lied to us.
01:41 (swoosh)
01:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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