The Turnbull government's proposed lifetime cap on student debt would hit up to 30,000 current postgraduate students who will need to pay upfront or look for work rather than finish studying, according to new analysis.

A report commissioned by the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations argues a growing number of students will come into conflict with a new $100,000 lifetime loan limit to be imposed from next year.

FEE-HELP, for full-fee paying students, was already capped at a similar level. But under the changes, Commonwealth-supported places will also count towards the lifetime limit. This will affect students who have enjoyed subsidised undergraduate study but later undertake full-fee postgraduate study.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham expects students to enter the workforce and pay down debt between degrees. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The analysis, by consultant Nigel Palmer, said students on common postgraduate pathways in law, accounting, banking and business management were most likely to tip over the $100,000 threshold. This was increasingly common as students took on longer and more complex combinations of degrees, often without a break to enter the workforce.