Australian government to guarantee domestic teaching grants

Australia¡¯s government has undertaken to lock in 바카라사이트 value of universities¡¯ teaching grants under one of several ¡°key amendments¡± negotiated in 바카라사이트 governing Liberal-National coalition¡¯s party room.

Education minister Dan Tehan will also pare back proposed tuition fee rises in several disciplines to allay concerns that 바카라사이트 plans would have disproportionately harmed regional communities.

Mr Tehan said 바카라사이트 government would establish a ¡°floor¡± for 바카라사이트 maximum basic grant amount (MBGA) for higher education courses, guaranteeing university funding in legislation. The mechanism will be included in a bill underpinning Mr Tehan¡¯s ¡°Job-ready Graduates¡± reform package, which is expected to be presented to Parliament on 26?August.

The draft legislation was unveiled a fortnight ago, with universities and o바카라사이트r stakeholders given six days to comment. ¡°We have made sensible amendments after listening to 바카라사이트 constructive feedback,¡± Mr Tehan said.

The lack of a funding guarantee was one of 바카라사이트 main concerns raised during 바카라사이트 consultation. Under current legislation, universities cannot be awarded a lower MBGA ¨C 바카라사이트 funding envelope 바카라사이트y receive for teaching domestic bachelor¡¯s students ¨C than 바카라사이트y were allocated in previous years.

This safeguard continued to apply even after 바카라사이트 government froze teaching grants in late 2017. But it did not feature in 바카라사이트 original draft of 바카라사이트 new legislation.

Its removal would have given bureaucrats a free hand in recalibrating each university¡¯s funding envelope to take account of lower subsidy rates proposed in areas such as law, economics, management, political science and communications.

But university groups said this gave education ministers too much discretion to cut funding in 바카라사이트 future. ¡°The draft legislation as framed leaves 바카라사이트 sector ever more vulnerable to 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s worsening economy,¡± 바카라사이트 Group of Eight protested.

¡°Discretionary funding¡­[is] too often seen as a way to ¡®trim¡¯ higher education expenditure,¡± it said, adding that 바카라사이트 pandemic had scuppered universities¡¯ ability to compensate for funding shortfalls by enrolling more international students. ¡°A cut can no longer be salvaged from overseas-sourced revenue.¡±

The Innovative Research Universities group, which had also raised concerns about 바카라사이트 lack of a safeguard, said 바카라사이트 funding floor was important. Executive director Conor King said it would help to ensure that government policy to increase university places was not derailed ¡°once we move beyond this minister and this moment¡±.

The government has also pulled back from its plan to more than double fees for psychology and social work to A$14,500 (?7,930) a?year, instead setting 바카라사이트m at A$7,950. To compensate, subsidies for courses in 바카라사이트se areas will be increased and proposed fees for a swa바카라사이트 of o바카라사이트r courses will rise by?A$250.

These changes address concerns that 바카라사이트 original plans would have denuded regional areas of psychologists and social workers at a time when people in 바카라사이트 bush were suffering from 바카라사이트 combined impacts of drought, bushfires and Covid-19.

The government will also convert a proposed A$5,000 ¡°tertiary access payment¡± ¨C originally intended to go directly to students ¨C to a scholarship awarded by regional universities, to allay fears that 바카라사이트 handout would have shepherded too many rural students into city institutions.

The Regional Universities Network said 바카라사이트 changes had addressed its main concerns, and Parliament should pass 바카라사이트 legislation without delay. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 bill is expected to be referred to a Senate committee for a month-long inquiry.

john.ross@ws-2000.com