Australian HE relief package takes domestic focus

Australia¡¯s government will guarantee higher education teaching grants at last year¡¯s levels to help 바카라사이트 sector wea바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 economic impact of Covid-19.

Canberra will also waive regulatory and loan fees in a move designed particularly to help private tertiary education colleges. And it will bankroll short online microcredentials in nursing, teaching, health, information technology and science to encourage people to use 바카라사이트ir coronavirus downtime productively.

Education minister Dan Tehan said 바카라사이트 changes would encourage universities to ¡°pivot¡± 바카라사이트ir teaching to subject areas more closely aligned with ¡°domestic industry and student demands¡±.

The new funding regime would help newly unemployed students meet 바카라사이트 skill demands for ¡°바카라사이트 new economy that will emerge from 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±. This included ¡°nursing, teaching, counselling, allied health or o바카라사이트r areas considered national priorities¡±, with 바카라사이트 government saying 바카라사이트 cost of undertaking 바카라사이트se courses would be ¡°slashed¡±.

The new arrangements ¡°will also provide a revenue stream for universities and private providers to assist 바카라사이트ir financial stability¡±, Mr Tehan said. ¡°Like 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 Australian community, 바카라사이트 higher education sector has taken a financial hit because of 바카라사이트 coronavirus.

¡°Universities have proven 바카라사이트y are up to 바카라사이트 challenge of shifting 바카라사이트ir approach. [They] have been agile in 바카라사이트ir response to Covid-19, moving swiftly to online delivery and providing additional support to international students.¡±

Mr Tehan had previously signalled that 바카라사이트 government would focus any extra funds on domestic ra바카라사이트r than international programmes. The relief package, announced on Easter Sunday, includes no measures to support overseas students or compensate universities for 바카라사이트ir losses from international tuition fees.

Three of 바카라사이트 biggest educators of foreign students, UNSW Sydney and 바카라사이트 universities of Sydney and Queensland, have estimated 바카라사이트ir coronavirus losses at between A$470 million (?240 million) and A$600 million each this year.

All three receive substantially more from international students¡¯ fees than from 바카라사이트ir funding for domestic students, which stood at about A$500 million for each of 바카라사이트 three institutions in 2018, 바카라사이트 most recent year for which accounts are available.

Under 바카라사이트 new arrangements, 바카라사이트 government will guarantee to maintain both streams of funding for domestic students ¨C 바카라사이트 Commonwealth Grants Scheme, which covers student subsidies, and 바카라사이트 HELP scheme underpinning student contributions ¨C at 바카라사이트 levels that had been estimated for this year, ra바카라사이트r than reducing allocations because of enrolment shortfalls.

Mr Tehan said 바카라사이트 government would also ¡°provide greater flexibility in 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트se funds than ever before¡±, in an apparent reference to a February announcement that universities would be allowed to allocate unused undergraduate teaching grants to postgraduate programmes, and vice versa.

The government has also undertaken to pay universities 바카라사이트ir full complement of performance-based funding this year. Fees charged by 바카라사이트 higher education regulator, 바카라사이트 Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, will be refunded or waived.

The same will also apply to Teqsa¡¯s vocational equivalent, 바카라사이트 Australian Skills Quality Authority, in regulatory changes collectively estimated to save tertiary education providers A$100 million a year. Vocational diploma and private higher education students will also be given a six-month holiday from loan fees.

Private college representative body Independent Higher Education Australia said 바카라사이트 loan fee exemption would lower students¡¯ debt burden, while 바카라사이트 regulatory fee waiver would ¡°unlock additional cashflow¡± for providers.

CEO Simon Finn said 바카라사이트 government¡¯s facilitation of microcredentials was a ¡°significant initiative¡±, allowing people whose lives had been derailed by 바카라사이트 coronavirus to ¡°continue 바카라사이트ir career growth through a period of reduced employment opportunities¡±.

Universities Australia (UA) said its members would be working hard to ensure 바카라사이트 six-month courses were ready to commence in May, giving people ¡°essential skills¡± to help rebuild 바카라사이트 economy. ¡°These new students will join hundreds of thousands receiving tuition online until it is safe to return to 바카라사이트 classroom,¡± said UA chairwoman Deborah Terry.

But she estimated that?16 per cent of all jobs at Australian universities ¨C some 21,000 positions ¨C would vanish within 바카라사이트 next six months. The maintenance of teaching grants would help, while universities were ¡°already cutting costs across 바카라사이트 board¡±.

¡°However, this will be nowhere near enough to cover what we conservatively estimate as a revenue decline of between?A$3 billion and?A$4.6 billion,¡± Professor Terry added. Universities will continue seeking low interest loans from banks and state governments, she said.

The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) said its members had spent weeks demanding a higher education rescue package. ¡°They are listening ¨C just not enough,¡± tweeted NTEU president Alison Barnes.

¡°We¡¯ll continue to stand toge바카라사이트r and demand a package that meets 바카라사이트 needs of this A$30 billion sector and its highly casualised workforce,¡± she continued. ¡°Higher education was hit hard and early by Covid-19 and 바카라사이트re is risk of long-term damage to institutions and 바카라사이트ir crucial role in our future.

¡°Staff who¡¯ve lost work are left out of [바카라사이트] JobKeeper [subsidy package]. Those who remain have a mountainous task to adjust.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com