A young Australian man has sparked a heated debate after criticising older generations and saying they have ruined the chance for younger generations to buy their own homes.
Adelaide influencer Brooke Robran explained that young Australians were struggling to leave home due to mounting HECS debts and unaffordable property prices.
“How the hell are people in their 20s supposed to leave home now?” Robran asked in a video posted on social media.
‘The generations before us really screwed us here.
‘When people went to university it was free. Now, people who go to university have an average debt of $26,000 in HECS.
“People like me don’t leave home until they’re thirty because they can’t afford it. I swear it takes four different jobs to make enough money to buy a house now.”
The university was once free for students during the term of Australia’s 21st Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.
During his brief four-year term, Mr Whitlam abolished tuition fees in 1974 and introduced a living allowance for full-time students.
Adelaide influencer Brooke Robran, 21, said previous generations had ruined young Australians’ chances of moving out of home early and buying their own property.
Compulsory payments returned in 1989 under the Labor government of Bob Hawke, which also introduced the HECS scheme.
Initially, all degrees had a flat annual fee of $1,800. This changed in 1996 when the Howard coalition government introduced a three-tier fee system.
Fees increased from a flat fee of $2,454 to $3,300 for Band One degrees, such as education and humanities, and $5,500 for Band Three degrees, including law and accountancy.
Since then, both sides of Australian politics have agreed that students should continue to pay the cost of higher education.
Data from comparison website Finder shows the average HECS debt is $40,000, with 21 per cent owing between $40,000 and $100,000 and just over one per cent owing more than $100,000.
Those with debt are also increasingly concerned about how much they owe: 63 percent are slightly or extremely concerned about their ability to pay it back, up from 54 percent last year.
However, 12 percent do not believe they will ever be able to repay the debt in full.
Ms Robran said one contributing factor was the exorbitant HECS debt students accrue over the course of their university career, something that was previously free for older Australians (file image of graduating students at the Australian National University in Canberra)
Many Australians agreed with Ms Robran, saying they were unable to move or buy a home because of their high student debt.
“I’m 21 and still at university. I have a HECS debt of $42,000, no savings and I’m trying to finish my degree,” said one.
“My HECS debt is $80,000. I’m never going to be able to buy a house. I did a one-year technical degree and then I have a veterinary degree which took me five years, so that’s six years of university in total and unfortunately that’s the cost,” added another person.
“I’m trying to make it work but inflation is ruining everything at the moment. The government can’t see how much younger communities struggle to meet daily expenses,” added a third.
A fourth said: “I’m 30, I saved $40,000 for a deposit and now I need at least double that. People are buying houses that need renovation for $800,000 these days, it’s crazy.”
However, some argued that older generations were not to blame for the plight of young Australians and said responsibility should lie with the government.
“Don’t blame the elderly, blame our government,” one person wrote.
“It’s not the fault of the previous generations. Do your research, it’s the government’s fault,” another person agreed.
Others said young Australians need to work harder if they want to buy property in today’s market.
The debate between generations has intensified in recent years as property prices have soared, largely benefiting the older generation.
“I didn’t go to college. I started my own business at 18 and by 25 I already owned a couple of properties. I can’t blame the older generation because they’re not making things happen for you,” one person commented.
“I moved out of home and built my first house at 19, you just have to work hard and focus on your goals and it will pay off,” wrote another.
A third added: “My partner and I had jobs (hairdressers and plumbers) and when we were 25 we bought our own house. It’s difficult, but possible.”