I meant that if you had to choose between paying your HECS fees upfront and, say, having fun, then it would be a better idea to defer. Basically, my general point is that you should only pay up front if you are loaded. Besides, is there any real problem with a small fraction of your earnings going towards your HECS debt in the future? At least we have the interest-free loan option, which is something that many people seem to forget.