Students pay hundreds for assignments

by N.Rahimi Azmi

May 19, 2008

PERTH uni students are paying hundreds of dollars over the internet for professionals to fraudulently write up essays for them.

Murdoch University student Aki (surname withheld) says numerous websites that offer the service save time and effort, and allow students to concentrate and study for their final exams towards the end of the semester.

“At times, I just get sick and tired of reading chunks of materials on the online databases and in books,” he said. “All you need is a couple hundred bucks and a three day notice and you are ready to hand up your assignments on time.”

Typically, essays are charged at AUD$14.99 per page, or up to AUD$49.99 per page for a three day turnaround. The earlier a buyer submits the request to buy an essay, the cheaper it gets.

Buyers are free to choose their word count, essential references and also the style of references they’d prefer.

Websites such as PrimEssays guarantee that each essay bought is a one-off.

“These essays are unique to each buyer and it can never be considered plagiarism as the writers of these essays are ex-university professors themselves,” Fendi, a postgraduate from Curtin Uni (surname withheld) said. “We, buyers are guaranteed that the essays purchased would be free from any form of plagiarism.”

 Murdoch University lecturer Dr Beth Pengelly said that purchasing essays over the websites and submitting it would be considered ghost writing.

“It is possible to tell but it is harder to prove,” she said.