Here’s What Students Need To Know About #Budget2015

The government’s proposed budget for 2015 has been unveiled.

Needless to say, there’s a lot in there to digest.

As expected, it featured the long-rumoured ‘Netflix tax’, a reversal on 2014’s paid parental leave plan and a major boost to national security.

The question is, what does Treasurer Joe Hockey have to offer young people (besides a willingness to participate in selfies)?

ABC News has broken down the ‘winners and losers’ of the announcement, and you’ll be glad to hear ‘young people’ fall smack dab in the middle of the scale, with a classification of 'neutral'.

Here’s why:

The government has pledged $330 million to a Youth Employment Strategy, to ease young people into the workforce, setting aside cash for young people with mental health concerns and young migrants.

YES – sweet acronym – will also include a national, 6,000-place work experience program. Wage subsidies will be offered to employers who hire young people following four weeks of unpaid work.

Apprentices are also in line to receive a $664 million boost. Part of that funding will include $7,500 scholarships for employers who wish to train unemployed young people.

On the other side of the coin, newly unemployed people under the age of 25 will soon have to wait four weeks before they can qualify for welfare payments. In fact, from July 2016, the eligibility age for Newstart Allowances – intended for those seeking paid work - will increase from 22 to 25.

From January next year, 15-21 year-old early school leavers will only qualify for income support if they work 25 hours a week, or earn a year 12 certificate III qualification.

Also, university graduates living and working overseas for more than six months will need to start making repayments on their HELP loans, again, from January of next year.

Finally, it has been hinted that university deregulation could be back on the table in 2016, despite it being rejected this past financial year.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted as more news on the matter arrives.

Until then, chant it with us: Neu-tral! Neu-tral! Neu-tral!