In her final year of studying to be an oral health therapist and with inflation rising, university student Caitlin Bourke is struggling.
The 25-year-old is spending 38 hours a week across 24 weeks this year doing unpaid placements as part of her studies.
"The amount of [buy now, pay later providers] Zip Pay and Afterpay I've been using is ridiculous," Ms Bourke said.
Ms Bourke said she did half of her placement at an on-campus clinic at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, where she lived, and the other half at a clinic 90 minutes away in Albury.
"I found a rental for $200 a week but of course I still have to pay for my house [in Wagga]," she said.
"So just on rent I pay $328 a week, and then with fuel costs — which is up to about $98 to fill my tank, which will last me about a week."
She said she received $364 a week in Centrelink payments and tried to work in a pub on a weekend while still finding time to study.
But it is not enough.
"I usually pay my rent with Centrelink and Zip Pay for every other bill, food, everyday expenses," she said.
"Then use my part-time work pay to attempt to pay off the Zip Pay, Afterpay, and Latitude payments.
"I love the fact that we are helping the crisis in the healthcare system, but it's sending me to the point of poverty trying to be able to afford all this."
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Melbourne resident Katherine Clough, who is studying to be a midwife while caring for her two young children, said her family has had to tighten its belt.
The 33-year-old is required to complete more than 1,000 hours of unpaid placements, which can be up to an hour from where she lives.
"There are costs associated with going on placement like petrol, parking, and meals," Ms Clough said.
"And the rest of our lives don't stop either. We still have day care, rent, utility bills, and groceries to pay for too."
The Victorian government last year announced 10,000 nursing and midwifery students would be able to complete their studies for free, but it did not include students such as Ms Clough who were already enrolled.
Ms Clough said she received parenting payments and rent assistance, which meant she was not eligible for support as a student, and was paid a base salary of $26 an hour for the work she did at her local hospital as a registered undergraduate.
Those shifts reduce her other payments and are not able to be counted towards her placement.
"Obviously something I am doing as a student is worth being paid for," she said.
Under the Fair Work Act, students completing vocational placements are not considered employees and therefore are not entitled to receive a minimum wage or any other entitlements.
In a statement, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council said paid shifts were rostered according to hospital needs with "significant differences" to coursework requirements, and were unable to be mentored and assessed without compromise.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association said the issue of unpaid placement for students was longstanding and had become worse with recent increases in inflation.
"The financial toll of unpaid clinical placement has resulted in many students dropping out before completing their degree," general secretary Shaye Candish said.
"We are at a point where every possible opportunity, incentive, or policy change must be explored."
Both Ms Bourke and Ms Clough were keen to stress that they loved their chosen profession and understood the requirements and need for on-the-job training.
"I love the team I work with and I'm grateful for the opportunity," Ms Clough said.
In a statement, Charles Sturt University said it would be offering grants of up to $3,000 to new students on top of a similar amount announced in February for students studying teaching, nursing, and social work, which students such as Ms Bourke were not eligible for.
A Department of Health spokesman said the federal government offered a range of scholarships through the Australian College of Nursing.
