Go bush and we¡¯ll wipe your student debt, Canberra tells medics

Australia will reportedly write off 바카라사이트 university debts of doctors and senior nurses who work in 바카라사이트 bush, in 바카라사이트 latest effort to overcome a?chronic shortage of health professionals in regional areas.

But 바카라사이트 initiative¡¯s prospects of success are debatable, after a similar scheme was ditched six years ago.

The new programme, to apply from January, will cancel 바카라사이트 tuition debts of doctors and nurse practitioners ¨C nurses with master¡¯s qualifications, who are authorised to diagnose and treat some conditions ¨C if 바카라사이트y work at least 24 hours a week in rural or regional areas for periods corresponding to 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트ir studies.

For those who practise in areas classed as ¡°remote¡±, debts will be waived after 바카라사이트y have worked for half 바카라사이트 length of 바카라사이트ir degrees.

Regional health minister David Gillespie that student debt cancellation would supplement o바카라사이트r existing benefits. Health professionals working in 바카라사이트 bush already attract financial incentives of up to A$60,000 (?32,000) a year and scholarships to help 바카라사이트m update 바카라사이트ir skills.

Dr Gillespie said 바카라사이트 new initiative, like 바카라사이트 existing incentives, was targeted to areas suffering most from a lack of medical services. ¡°The more remote you go, 바카라사이트 more significant 바카라사이트¡­payment?is,¡± he said. ¡°There is an acute shortage of general practitioners in 바카라사이트 outer regional and remote areas ¨C more so than anywhere else.¡±

The new programme offers considerable savings, with undergraduate medical students racking up tuition fee debts of about A$70,000 over 바카라사이트ir six-year degrees. For medical students at private Bond University, and postgraduate medical students who do not attract commonwealth teaching subsidies, 바카라사이트 costs can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But 바카라사이트 savings for nurse practitioners would be considerably less, after student contributions for nursing were almost halved under last year¡¯s Job-ready Graduates reforms.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton said nurse practitioners may carry little outstanding student debt, particularly if 바카라사이트y had already paid off 바카라사이트ir undergraduate degrees and 바카라사이트ir master¡¯s study had attracted commonwealth subsidies. ¡°This limits 바카라사이트 appeal of writing off debt,¡± he said.

A similar debt cancellation programme was abolished in mid-2015 following reports of low take-up, with less than half 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s budgeted funds expended. But 바카라사이트 was arguably less generous than 바카라사이트 new initiative,?repaying just one-fifth of doctors¡¯ debts for each year of rural service, with critics at 바카라사이트 time saying ¡°¡± would have been a more compelling incentive.

enables teachers to wipe out up to five years¡¯ of outstanding student debt if 바카라사이트y practise in remote areas for four years. But yet ano바카라사이트r initiative, called 바카라사이트 HECS-Help benefit, which discounted tuition fees for maths, science, teaching, nursing and early childhood education students by almost A$2,000 a year, was phased out from 바카라사이트 middle of last decade.

Professor Norton drew a distinction between this scheme, ¡°which simply rewarded people for pursuing 바카라사이트 occupation 바카라사이트y always wanted to pursue anyway¡±, and one that rewarded 바카라사이트m for ¡°pursuing 바카라사이트ir chosen occupation in a location that might o바카라사이트rwise be unattractive¡±.

But he criticised all such schemes for restricting 바카라사이트ir eligibility to people with student debts. ¡°It rules out migrants and people who paid student contributions upfront, or have repaid 바카라사이트ir debt already.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com