A PETITION is going around Margaret River about the Federal Government’s changes to criteria for youth allowance, saying it will change or eliminate the traditional “gap year” many students take off study before entering university.

Locals are concerned that students will effectively need to defer and work for two years.

NSW Nationals Senator Fiona Nash has criticised the changes, saying they “blatantly discriminate against young people from regional Australia who aspire to a university education”.

“The May Budget doubled to 30 per week the number of hours young people have to work in their gap year to qualify for the higher, Independent rate of Youth Allowance,” she said.

“Because the measure comes into effect in January 2010, many regional young people currently on their gap year would now have to delay university entry until 2011 or give up altogether on their tertiary education dreams.”

Forrest MP Nola Marino says the Coalition will seek to refer the changes to Youth Allowance announced in the Budget to a Senate Committee for Investigation.

“My office has been inundated with calls and concerns from parents and young people angered the Government is once again ignoring and punishing regional students,” Ms Marino said.

“This Government talks about increasing University attendance, but by this decision has disenfranchised more than 30,000 students–particularly those from rural and regional areas–from having the financial means to do so.

“Not only will the Government be limiting who can apply for Youth Allowance, it is also completely scrapping the Commonwealth funded Education and Accommodation Scholarships that have helped our South West students financially over many years.

“All students from the South West attending a Commonwealth funded University are able to apply for the Commonwealth funded education and accommodation scholarships worth around $8,500 and $17,000 respectively over four years.

“The proposed adjustments would only allow Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY recipients to apply for the Scholarships which will be reduced by around $6000 and $10,000 respectively over four years, shortchanging students from the South West by thousands of dollars in much needed assistance.

“I urge all South West residents who will be affected by these changes to contact my office immediately to voice your concerns so I can include your stories in my submission to the Senate inquiry.

Email your concerns to nola.marino.mp@aph.gov.au

All responses are confidential unless otherwise specified.

More information on the proposed changes is available from http://www.deewr.gov.au