The education minister, Jason Clare, is considering a substantial overhaul of Australia’s tertiary education system, which may involve changes to university course fees and increased support for students managing their Hecs and Help debts. The proposed changes, outlined in the final Australian University Accord report, aim to ensure that at least 80% of Australia’s workforce attains higher qualifications by 2050 through vocational training, Tafe, or university education.
The report suggests providing additional support for students from lower socioeconomic and underrepresented backgrounds to facilitate their entry into and completion of university or vocational training. While the government’s official response to the report is pending, Clare has expressed early support for altering fee structures and financial arrangements, especially for students requiring additional assistance.
The potential changes to the Hecs and Help systems could include a tiered repayment structure, where individuals with lower incomes repay less. Clare indicated that adjustments might be implemented as early as the May budget, providing immediate cost-of-living benefits for graduates entering the workforce.
The report also suggests revisiting indexation, proposing a shift from the consumer price index to the wage price index for university deferred loans. Clare emphasized the priority of creating fair conditions to ensure students, regardless of their financial backgrounds, can successfully complete their degrees.
The accord aims to increase the percentage of 25-to-34-year-olds with a university degree from 45% to 55% while raising vocational qualifications to 40%. Clare highlighted the necessity of eliminating barriers that hinder young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, from pursuing higher education.
The prospect of reversing the Morrison-era changes to university fee structures, which increased fees for humanities and arts degrees while discounting degrees in fields like nursing and teaching, is also under consideration. The report recommends a student contribution system based on potential lifetime earnings.
Universities Australia welcomed the accord’s recommendations and urged the government to expedite the establishment of an implementation advisory committee to prioritize the rollout of reforms. The Greens called for the immediate abandonment of the Morrison-era university funding hikes and the implementation of fairer fee measures as one of the government’s initial actions.
