A better aid for battling families

Comments on Matthew Franklin “Battling parents to get extra cash”, 4/05/2011, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/battling-parents-to-get-extra-cash/story-fn59niix-1226049430654

The tax and benefit/welfare systems are a mess and any new measures will undoubtedly make them more complex, unyielding and worse.

Why doesn't the government create a study loan category available for high school and college students, similar to the HECS style loan to university students but is mainly for helping with living expenses?

You can even have conditions on the loans, such as a means test.

Of course, it is optional and no people would be forced to use it.

To make it even better, the loan debt for students who are from low socio-economic status family background and have achieved very good results (with pre-defined criteria) could be wholly or partly be deemed as scholarships and the obligation of pay back the loans be waived. That will provide more incentives for better learning and contribute to better future skills.

To be more accountable to Australian taxpayers, any person with such an Australian government loan should have the obligation to pay even if they migrate to other countries, as long as their income is above the threshold.