More than 2500 visitors came to our training support stand
How much does postgraduate study cost?
We asked more than 2500 visitors, including secondary school students, university students, teachers and parents who came to visit us at Job&Orienta 2019 in Verona. In fact, Habacus participated in the 29th edition of the largest national exhibition dedicated to guidance, school, training and work, with a stand dedicated to supporting training and academic education.
When asked “Do you know how much it will cost you to continue studying after you graduate?“, the vast majority of students visiting the stand were unable to answer. Only a few students
- came close to the university estimate of between €8,000 and €15,000 per year, depending on their income bracket (if studying in Italy – a figure to be multiplied by at least two for studies abroad). In general, we have found that many visitors do not ask themselves this question, as they are primarily concerned with what kind of studies to choose and in what field to specialise. Nor do they know the main costs they will have to bear in order to continue their studies, whether university, specialist or higher education, in Italy or abroad. Parents and teachers also need a refresher course and often only consider the cost of school fees, not taking into account necessary expenses, such as rent if studying away from home or abroad. Other categories of expenditure such as health, food, transport, books are also not taken into account. Moreover, the costs go up if one also considers the expenses related to foreign placements and unpaid curricular internships. The cost estimate also includes expenses for extra activities that are part of a student’s life, such as sports, hobbies, entertainment, etc.
How do you cover the costs of student life?
To the question, “Do you know how to cover the costs related to your postgraduate student life?”, most of the students responded by indicating parental support. Others replied that they supplemented their study budget with occasional, evening or seasonal work. Few students, however, confirmed that they had set aside money or had a fund set up by their parents. We can count on the fingers of one hand the number of students and parents who mentioned student loans as a possibility. Yet, even the latter showed that they lacked clear information and were ultimately unaware of the different funding opportunities for studies.
Habacus and sustainable funding for study
During the fair, we found little awareness of the financial aspects of postgraduate studies and a general lack of awareness of different funding opportunities for students. We saw a real need for guidance on the issues of financial education and study support.
In order not to burden their parents or spend family funds that could be used for other unforeseen and priority expenses, students can access a
sustainable, curriculum-driven way of financing studies. Habacus can support training and academic education by helping students and families navigate and identify the best sustainable financing opportunities for their studies, then obtain and maintain them.
For a more in-depth look at financing opportunities and why you should take out a student loan, read the latest article in Sole24Ore which looks at us
