 |
Media Release
FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS
TO HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM PACKAGE
3 December, 2003 MIN 550/03
The Government has further enhanced the higher education reform package, Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future:
Scholarships
Social security legislation will be amended so that the Commonwealth Learning Scholarships will not be subject to the social security income test. This will mean that students who are awarded one of these scholarships will not have the scholarship count as income for social security purposes. As a result, their Youth Allowance or any other income support payment they receive will not be affected by the awarding of any of these scholarships.
Interest rates on loan schemes
There will be no interest rate for Australian postgraduate fee-paying students and a fixed, flat 20% administration fee for Australian undergraduate fee-paying students.
Learning entitlement
The Student Learning Entitlement will be extended from 5 years to 7 years, with flexibility for an extension in the case of longer courses and appropriate appeal mechanisms.
HECS repayment threshold
The HECS repayment threshold will be increased to $35,000 in 2004/05 ($36,184 in 2005/06).
Ministerial discretion on funding courses
The legislation will ensure that the Minister has regard for the impact on students of any decision not to provide Commonwealth support for a course.
It will further incorporate a clause into the legislation which requires the Minister to make such determinations on courses within six months of the proposed commencement of the course to minimise the impact on students.
HECS flexibility
Universities will set their own HECS charge at a level from $0 to a maximum 25% above current HECS rates, with every dollar going directly to the university.
Fee-paying places
Universities may accept fee paying Australian students if they choose. If they do they must first fill all their HECS places. Fee paying places can only be created over and above HECS places. The maximum number of Australian fee-paying students will be reduced from 50% to 35% of a total course cohort.
Indexation
The Minister will initiate and undertake a review of the cost adjustment factor indexation mechanism for the Commonwealth funding of universities from 2007/08.
The Government’s package is poised to deliver $2.4 billion dollars and more than 34,000 new places to Australia’s universities. There is still time for Labor and the Democrats to vote for Australia and secure its future.
Media Contact:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
|
