He is mocked for his cut-down coronation makeover with its celebratory egalitarian quiche but would similarly cop heaps if, perchance, the dish was lobster thermidor with gold leaf trimmings. It seems King Charles cannot win either way (“ Minimise majesty? What a travesty”, April 28). Bruce Clydsdale, Bathurst Enough to give King a coronary I worked during term and all vacations to pay the university fees, but finished my degree debt-free back in the 1960s. Students need to be financially wise before taking up any debt offers at such a young age and the future implications of what appears to be “the easy road”. Not easy, but consideration should be given to the impact later in life of a HECS/HELP debt. For many students, however, especially from rural and regional areas there is the additional problem of accommodation costs.

For example, working for a year and then studying for a year (as many do in Canada), also, the possibility of employer fee payments in return for an exceptional work ethic, and then there is the possibility of scholarships. However, they must realise it is a debt for life. I understand the reasoning behind the idea of HECS/HELP giving students from lower socio-economic backgrounds the opportunity to achieve a university education, and the later contributions they can make to society. And, as education boosts income, the loan only has to be repaid when the threshold is reached, consistent with the objective of education. Effectively, it is a loan where interest is at the inflation rate which, except for periods like the present, is less than commercial interest rates, usually by quite a margin. And nobody wanted to go to the other extreme where education is individually funded using normal loans. But that was clearly unsustainable from a budgetary perspective.

Of course, the Baby Boomers were very lucky to receive a totally free education.

Indeed, until their income reaches the threshold they have effectively received a free education. It worries me a bit that those with a tertiary qualification and higher incomes than most are so concerned about a relatively small debt with effectively a concessional interest rate, compared with the impact on others of a large mortgage at commercial interest rates. We seem determined to make education a trickle-down Liberal concept where the rich (the government and the universities) win and the students lose – for the rest of their lives. The only investment a nation can make in its future is the education of its young. Imagine the outcry if banks started doing the same thing to mortgages.

The government adds an amount equivalent to the rate of inflation on every HELP debt annually (“ I’ve paid $3000 of my student loan but I’m deeper in debt”, April 28). Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size

Genevieve graham come from away