- Unpaid HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) student loan debt in Australia is predicted to exceed $70 billion by 2017, with 25% expected to never be repaid. The growing debt poses economic issues for Australia. - Current measures aim to increase repayment rates, such as requiring Australians living overseas to register with the tax office and repay loans. However, there is no penalty for failing to register. - The author proposes several solutions to reduce HECS debt, such as offering higher voluntary repayment bonuses, recovering debt from deceased estates, lowering the repayment threshold, and reducing loans offered to underperforming degrees. These solutions remain controversial and politically difficult.