Education experts want the Gillard Government to "cap" the size of university loans to stop students going from one university degree to another

Professional students get HECS for life and rack up thousands in fees | News.com.au

PROFESSIONAL university students are racking up massive debts of nearly $400,000 for "lifetime" tuition.

As the cost of the university loans scheme balloons out to more than $20 billion, scores of students are avoiding repaying their debts by staying out of the workforce.

Australia's most expensive university student has amassed an astonishing $384,957 debt - enough to buy an inner-city apartment or fund more than six undergraduate degrees in medicine or dentistry.

And confidential Freedom of Information documents reveal other "professional" students have accrued debts between $264,677 and $175,805 - leading to claims they are clogging up campuses and have no intention of repaying taxpayers. In total, 20 students racked up loan debts of $161,162 or more.

Education experts want the Gillard Government to "cap" the size of university loans to stop students going from one university degree to another.

Home loans, savings accounts and more

Australia's student loans scheme started in 1989. The system has been costly with $4 billion in student loans "written off" while a further $400 to $500 million are listed as "doubtful" debts.

Some students have been at university for more than 15 years, and education experts called on the Government to tighten up the loans scheme to prevent debt blow-outs.

"It's not the responsibility of taxpayers to underwrite the lifestyle of professional students who want to spend the bulk of their adult life swanning around university campus," Institute of Public Affairs' research fellow Tony Barry said.

Higher Education Minister Chris Evans backed the loans scheme: "Without HECS or HELP, governments would need to substantially increase taxes to provide the support to universities to deliver high-quality education."