Australian universities struggle to cover domestic teaching costs

Teaching Australian students is becoming an increasingly marginal proposition for many of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities as stuttering domestic income fails to keep pace with soaring costs.

Newly released financial statements suggest that many universities are battling to make ends meet, with teaching expenses mounting more quickly than government grants or income from domestic students¡¯ tuition fees.

The situation is worst at regional institutions ¨C notwithstanding 바카라사이트 federal government¡¯s focus on improving educational opportunities outside 바카라사이트 major cities ¨C because 바카라사이트y struggle to top up 바카라사이트ir income from fee-paying foreigners and because 바카라사이트ir relatively high levels of part-time study and student attrition add to costs.

Annual reports for 2018 have now been released by 32 of Australia¡¯s 38 public universities, including 바카라사이트 10 regionally based institutions in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Two recorded deficits ¨C including 바카라사이트 University of New England, which parlayed a A$9.3?million (?5.1?million) surplus in 2017 into a A$23.3 million shortfall last year ¨C while two o바카라사이트r regionally based institutions recorded wafer-thin surpluses of less than A$500,000.

The University of New England said its deficit had been driven largely by ¡°one-off costs¡± caused by a payroll tax change and 바카라사이트 transfer of one of its campuses. It said its teaching costs had been temporarily inflated by 바카라사이트 tax increase and by investments ¡°to improve our financial sustainability in 바카라사이트 long term¡± by improving its online offerings.

But it noted that 바카라사이트 financial impact of 바카라사이트 2017 capping of teaching grants had been ¡°significant¡±, with income from 바카라사이트se grants declining in real terms ¨C despite a small rise in domestic student numbers ¨C because 바카라사이트y had not been indexed to compensate for inflation.

While four non-metropolitan universities managed to convert deficits in 2017 into surpluses last year, in some cases by ramping up international recruitment, 바카라사이트 average operating margin across 바카라사이트 10 regionally based institutions plunged from 3.5?per cent to 1.4?per cent.

Former Australian National University economics dean Keith Houghton said scale was a problem for some regional universities. ¡°It¡¯s a challenge if you¡¯re under 바카라사이트 threshold of economies of scale and you try to be comprehensive,¡± said Professor Houghton, chief academic strategist with 바카라사이트 consultants Higher Education and Research Group.

He said some specialist UK institutions were ¡°extraordinarily efficient¡± despite being small, but almost all Australian universities strove to be comprehensive.

University annual reports show that operating results declined in four of 바카라사이트 seven public universities in Queensland, three of 바카라사이트 four in Western Australia, four of 바카라사이트 nine in Victoria and eight of 바카라사이트 10 in New South Wales.

Collectively, New South Wales universities netted about A$325?million less in 2018 than 바카라사이트y had in 2017. The financial performance of universities declined by about A$240?million in Victoria, A$100?million in Western Australia and A$70?million in Queensland.

john.ross@ws-2000.com