20-21 September: Habacus welcomes university student associations.
Habacus and students
- It is through direct contact with students that Habacus understands the needs and difficulties in embarking on a course of study. This is why 12 university student associations from northern Italy were invited and welcomed this past 20th and 21st of September during FutureShots, two days dedicated to innovation.
At Habacus, we welcomed SIT of the Politecnico di Milano, Oikosmos of the University of Parma, Utfen of the University of Trento, ASSID of the University of Trieste, Invenicement of the University Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Junior Enterprise Italy with local units of the Politecnico di Torino, University of Verona, University of Bologna, Milano Bicocca, Ca’ Foscari Venezia and University of Trento.
FutureShots was attended by players and speakers, who through talks, DJ sets and interactive workshops, inspired the audience and projected innovative scenarios in the fields of digital lifestyle, eSports and music. Some of the guests present included the explorer and publicist, Alex Bellini, the very young producer and rapper, Sick Luke, the deputy director of Sole24Ore, Roberto Bernabò, Marta Monaco, manager of Prada and Fabio Zaffagnini, General Manager of Rockin’1000.
During their two days at Habacus, the associations proposed innovative and collaborative solutions to bridge the gap between awareness of alternative ways of financing study and the need for accessible, clear and comprehensive information on the world of student loans.
“Are you aware of the different opportunities for financing your postgraduate studies?”
When asked this question, students in the associations were aware of great confusion and distrust amongst their peers. This is because young people often confuse university funding with scholarships or do not know that there are unsecured loans in addition to ‘traditional’ loans.
We know how difficult it is in Italy to think of lending as something ‘positive’, a means of unlocking resources and enabling the development of young people. There is a fear that getting into debt is synonymous with ‘not making it on your own’ or ‘not having enough money’. In reality, this is about financing or rather investing in oneself.
When ISEE* works against you
The problem is that students often do not even ask themselves the question and discard the possibility of continuing their education without a second thought, for fear of not being able to support themselves financially or for fear of burdening their family. “Students often give up the idea of enrolling on a degree course away from home because their ISEE, which is just above the minimum bracket, means that they cannot access tax benefits and exemptions,” explains Elena Sofia D. of the Junior Enterprise Italy association and a student at Turin Polytechnic.
When the study includes a period abroad
It is not only a question of paying university fees. When studying full time, you need to organise yourself to pay for books, study materials, accommodation if you are away from home, food and daily expenses, not to mention living expenses during your internship period in Italy or abroad. “Many students on our International Relations degree course have to do an internship and many decide to do it abroad. It’s not easy to support yourself, as grants for this kind of experience are often scarce,” confides Klarisa S. from the ASSID association at the University of Trieste. Also because, let’s face it, foreign exchange grants, Overseas and Erasmus help only so much.
There is little information and when it is there, it is not clear.
There is also the question of not knowing which student loan is the best. Often there is a lack of clarity, information is not accessible and there is a risk of not having all the information to make an informed choice. Hence, many people give up looking for alternative ways to cover their expenses during their studies, especially if they are abroad. “I looked into honour loans at the time, but they charged crazy rates and required guarantees from my parents,” says Domenico, a student at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice.
When certification helps you
During the two-day meeting with the associations, aiming to clarify and help students, Habacus presented its mission as a facilitator for student loans. We explained our process of certifying students’ education as a key to unlocking access to financial resources. With the consent of the student applying for the loan, Habacus obtains the information needed to assess the student’s academic performance. The result of the assessment is a certification that shows the student’s academic situation as if in a snapshot and this can be the key to accessing a loan without guarantees, based only on one’s own merit and steady rate of study.
Habacus is like a coach
The discussion with the student associations brought up interesting suggestions, as well as proposals and potential initiatives for properly informing students. Based on the ideas and suggestions from the associations, Habacus is activating the most effective communication channels in order to inform an ever-widening audience of young people about the financial opportunities that allow them to choose the most suitable course of study and to support it comfortably, without burdening their families.
Stay tuned!
*ISEE: is the equivalent economic situation indicator, which allows citizens to access social benefits or public utility services at favourable conditions.
