University fee deregulation reforms put on hold

Education Minister Simon Birmingham has confirmed that the federal government will not move ahead with the proposed university fee deregulation plan, with the reforms placed on hold until after the next federal election.

In a speech given at the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit, Senator Birmingham announced that there would be no changes to the current higher education system in 2016, and that the government will consult with stakeholders before announcing any future reforms.

˜With only three months left in 2015, it is necessary to give both universities and students certainty about what the higher education funding arrangements for 2016 will be, ™ said Birmingham.

It has been decided that any future reforms, should they be legislated, would not commence until 2017 at the earliest.

These changes were initially proposed in the 2014 “15 Federal Budget, but have since been voted down in the Senate on two occasions.

Under the proposal, the current cap on student contributions would be disbanded, allowing universities to set their own fees for domestic undergraduates ” which could see the cost of higher education increase substantially for students.

Birmingham stressed the need for a higher education system that implements a sustainable funding model while simultaneously providing fair and equitable access for students.

˜When I reflect upon my personal experience ” government schooled, in a below average socio-economic area, with parents who never attended a university ” I am resolutely committed to equitable access. To those who claim consideration of reform is about ideology or privilege, you are dead wrong. I will only ever champion reforms that achieve both equity and excellence. ™