I’ve started doing my etax return today and it gives me great pleasure to find that I will be making my final payment for my tertiary education. At 43! Mind you I started my BA in 1984 and that first year it was free. Over the next 15 years I finished it as well as a Dip Ed. I did pay for a number of subjects that I didn’t complete. I never let study get in the way of living. I also didn’t pay any repayments for many years because I didn’t earn enough.
I’m glad I persisted with my study now. There were so many times when I wondered why I was doing it. I didn’t intend to be a teacher whilst I was studying, I just liked learning. There was also a stubborn part of me (the Capricorn rising I think) that wanted to finish what I had started. When I left uni to work full time in 1985, so many people said I’d never finish it. It made me want to.
It feels wonderful to pay the debt back and I have only just realised what an increase that will mean to my income. I have tried not to think about it too much over the years.
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Fortunately I got my degrees either done before HECS or paid for by my employer. I’d hated to have had the debt hanging over me.
Mine was also free. But now Tom1 is staring down the barrel of HECS fees.
Congratulations for getting out from under!