Go to class or pay rent. Pick one.

Money over future: The cost of living is too high for people to pursue or continue university

Sarah, 24, from Liverpool, works in retail at about $30 an hour and studies a communications degree at Western Sydney University. She faces a tough choice: earn $120 before tax, or attend class. (Name changed at the source's request).

Average weekly rent in Liverpool sits at $520 to $650 for a house, which luckily you can split into shared rooms. The concession Opal card helps as well, with a $25 weekly cap on fares, but all of this, plus the hour-long trip each way, adds up.

Fewer people started uni in 2023, the Department of Education says – down 1.8% – and that slide’s part of a larger trend. With costs up and work on offer, picking up an extra shift often beats going to your tutorial. 

When extra shifts beat turning up to class

With the rising cost of living in Australia, many people are weighing up going to uni against paid work. It’s a significant decision that can have a real impact on your life, and it’s understandable to feel pressure when choosing between some form of financial stability and study. 

As someone currently balancing a university degree with work and an internship, I get how tough it can be. It isn’t easy, and for those who find it overwhelming and decide to drop out or defer a semester, it's a perfectly valid choice. 

Gianna chooses work over HECS

Gianna, 24, a support worker from Blacktown, said about not attending university straight out of high school, ‘One of the reasons why I didn't want to go to university was because I didn't want to study for five plus years or more just to be having a huge HECS debt in my bank account and trying to pay that off for the rest of my life. I think that's insane to me. And honestly, that's actually one of the reasons why I was so excited after high school to just jump into the work field to be able to create wealth for myself and create income’. 

I didn't want to study for five plus years or more just to be having a huge HECS debt in my bank account and trying to pay that off for the rest of my life.

She works from 22 to 38 hours a week, pays $500 in rent, and her commute to work is under 30 minutes by car, which can be expensive depending on how much fuel she needs during the week.

A lot of young people, including Gianna, are trying to make ends meet and support themselves or their families, so they prioritise jobs that help cover rent, groceries and bills. Whether you're in Blacktown or Liverpool, the maths doesn't change much. Gianna takes the shifts; while Sarah tries to juggle both.

The maths of just staying afloat

Right now, the cost of living in Australia hits hard for young Australians – rent, power and essentials keep climbing. Finding a place you can afford can be its own part-time job. It goes without saying that rent takes the first bite of your pay. Electricity, water and gas in our poorly insulated houses especially hurt. On top of that, small extras such as little treats like streaming or a meal out, stack up.

Young Australians are increasingly facing a world where paid hours win out over study, although, ironically, despite an understaffed job market, many job seekers still don't hear back from employers or recruiters. 

The balance is brutal, work enough shifts to stay afloat, and hope there's still something left for your degree. 

What the juggle looks like for Sarah

Sarah said about juggling work and university, 'I was working two jobs for a while, along with studying full-time, and found it difficult to juggle. There’s definitely been times where I’ve picked up an extra shift instead of going to my tutorials or even just prioritised work over university, which has really affected my performance and grades. There have been many times when I have brought my laptop with me to work so I can do my assessments on my break'. 

There’s definitely been times where I’ve picked up an extra shift instead of going to my tutorials or even just prioritised work over university, which has really affected my performance and grades.

Most weeks, Sarah pulls 20 to 30 hours a work, with rent at $620 a week. Getting to work takes 5 minutes by car since she lives around the corner, and class takes about 30 minutes by public transport.

By the end of the week, not much has changed between Blacktown and Liverpool. Gianna takes the shifts. Sarah keeps the laptop in her bag and weighs the roster against the timetable, week by week. Sometimes she takes the extra shift and writes during her break. Sometimes the tutorial wins. Work pays now; class takes time. That’s not failure. It’s how the week fits, until it fits better.