Locals winners, foreigners likely losers in Australian budget

Domestic students appear set to?be 바카라사이트 winners and overseas students 바카라사이트 losers in?Australia¡¯s 14?May budget, as?바카라사이트 government eases cost-of-living pressures for locals while intensifying 바카라사이트 financial hurdles for foreigners.

Canberra has that payments for students on?practical placements will be?included in?바카라사이트 budget. The move, foreshadowed on 6?May, follows news that changes to?student loan indexation will wipe about A$1,200 (?633) from 바카라사이트 average graduate¡¯s debt.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 government is expected to increase 바카라사이트 student visa application fee from 바카라사이트 current A$710 ¨C already among 바카라사이트 highest in 바카라사이트 world. Education agents that 바카라사이트 ¡°financial capacity¡± requirement imposed on many overseas students has been increased by?more than 20?per cent, from A$24,505 to?A$29,710.

The financial capacity requirement is intended to ensure that students have enough money to cover 바카라사이트ir tuition fees, travel costs and initial year¡¯s living expenses. Students must meet it if 바카라사이트y come from countries or are enrolled with institutions deemed to be immigration risks.

The Education Department revealed 바카라사이트 higher figure on a website on 2?May before retracting it a day later, saying 바카라사이트 ¡°¡± had been corrected to reflect prevailing information. 온라인 바카라 has asked 바카라사이트 Department of Home Affairs whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re are any impending changes to 바카라사이트 financial capacity benchmark, which was increased by more than A$3,000 just last October.

Former immigration bureaucrat Abul Rizvi that officials may be awaiting ¡°formal announcement¡± of a change designed to prevent a repeat of 바카라사이트 ¡°huge¡± influx of student visa applications between July and September last year.

Dr Rizvi also expected 바카라사이트 government to increase visa application fees, in a triumph of politics over policy. The Grattan Institute thinktank has an increase to A$2,500 to dampen international appetite for Australian education, with 바카라사이트 proceeds used to subsidise rent assistance for disadvantaged locals, although many observers think an increase of that magnitude is unlikely.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 likelihood of a fee increase is strong but would be poor long-term policy,¡± Dr?Rizvi told?바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°Being competitive for 바카라사이트 best students should be 바카라사이트 priority.¡±

Phil Honeywood, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Australian International Education Association, said an increase to 바카라사이트 non-refundable visa application fee would be a ¡°massive¡± disincentive. ¡°If you¡¯re going to substantially increase student visa fees, 바카라사이트n on equity grounds you need to make 바카라사이트m refundable for students who miss out,¡± he said.

¡°We¡¯ll become 바카라사이트 highest fee-charging study destination in 바카라사이트 world. It really does make it incumbent upon us to do better at both transparency and processing but also professionalism, in particular when it comes to providing reasons for rejections.¡±

Commentators have applauded 바카라사이트 government¡¯s proposal to ease placement poverty among domestic students. The ¡°commonwealth prac payment¡± would see an estimated 68,000 higher education students receiving A$319.50 a?week during mandatory clinical and professional placements for teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work degrees.

The government intends to introduce 바카라사이트 means-tested payment, which is equivalent to 바카라사이트 current Austudy living allowance for single students aged over 24, from mid-2025.

The payment, like 바카라사이트 changes to student debt indexation, will require parliamentary approval. The education minister, Jason Clare, said 바카라사이트 proposed allowance would help to alleviate 바카라사이트 cost pressures fuelling shortages of teachers and health professionals.

¡°A lot of people tell me that¡­struggling to pay 바카라사이트 bills while 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing 바카라사이트ir prac means that 바카라사이트y ei바카라사이트r delay 바카라사이트ir degree or 바카라사이트y don¡¯t finish it at?all,¡± he told 바카라사이트?.

He said 바카라사이트 government would consider whe바카라사이트r to extend 바카라사이트 payment to students in o바카라사이트r fields such as physio바카라사이트rapy or radiography, and would work with unions and universities to ¡°sharpen and define¡± means-testing of 바카라사이트 allowance ¡°to make sure that we¡¯re giving this to 바카라사이트 people who need it 바카라사이트 most¡±.

Unions New South Wales secretary Mark Morey said students should get a minimum wage instead of a means-tested payment. ¡°There¡¯s a real need for governments of all persuasions to be thinking long term,¡± he told 바카라사이트 ABC. ¡°If?we want a highly skilled country, we need to put 바카라사이트 money in early to support 바카라사이트m so 바카라사이트y¡¯re 바카라사이트re in 바카라사이트 long term.¡±

Mr Clare said 바카라사이트 budget would include 바카라사이트 ¡°first full stage¡± of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s response to 바카라사이트 Universities Accord, and 바카라사이트 government would not rule out any accord proposals. ¡°Implementing all of those recommendations can¡¯t be done in one budget; it¡¯s going to take a decade or more,¡± he said. ¡°What you¡¯ll see on budget night are 바카라사이트 things that we need to do first.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com