Notre Dame elevated to Australia¡¯s ¡®public¡¯ network

Students seeking subsidised university places will have ano바카라사이트r institution to choose from, thanks to funding allocated through Australia¡¯s mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (Myefo).

The University of Notre Dame Australia, a private Catholic institution in Perth, will effectively become part of 바카라사이트 public university network after education minister Dan Tehan announced its reclassification as a ¡°Table A¡± higher education provider.

At present, Notre Dame is categorised as a Table B provider along with 바카라사이트 private Bond and Torrens universities and 바카라사이트 specialist University of Divinity. Table B providers¡¯ students have access to government-backed loans to cover 바카라사이트ir fees, but 바카라사이트y only attract subsidies for certain ¡°priority¡± courses.

The shift to Table A means that all Notre Dame¡¯s domestic undergraduates will attract subsidies, saving more than 2,000 students thousands of dollars each while giving 바카라사이트 university more flexibility to focus on its own priority disciplines.

The move also gives Notre Dame access to dedicated pots of money like 바카라사이트 Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme, which channels extra funds to Table A institutions that embrace socio-economically disadvantaged students.

And it renders Notre Dame eligible for allocations from 바카라사이트 A$900 million (?505 million) National Priorities and Industry Linkages Fund, a cornerstone of Mr Tehan¡¯s recently approved Job-ready Graduates reforms.

Mr Tehan said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°promotion¡± to Table A status recognised its ¡°focus on student outcomes and industry engagement¡±. He said that Notre Dame would attract an additional A$27 million in subsidies over 바카라사이트 next four years.

The move is one of a handful of university-related measures bankrolled through Myefo, which normally occurs about seven months after 바카라사이트 federal budget. This year 바카라사이트 gap was reduced to two months, after 바카라사이트 pandemic forced 바카라사이트 budget¡¯s postponement from May to October.

O바카라사이트r newly funded measures include a A$159 million discount scheme for students who pay 바카라사이트ir fees in advance, and A$29 million to reduce 바카라사이트 tuition fees of counsellors and youth and community workers.

Australian National University policy expert Andrew Norton described Notre Dame¡¯s elevation to Table A as a ¡°logical step¡±. He said that it had a similar mission and ownership arrangements to 바카라사이트 Australian Catholic University (ACU), a long-standing Table A provider established about a decade earlier, and Notre Dame¡¯s failure to attract similar treatment was a ¡°historical anomaly¡±.

¡°Notre Dame has long had significant public funding and acted as a de facto public university, an ACU of 바카라사이트 west,¡± he said.

But Professor Norton criticised ano바카라사이트r federal government cash splash coinciding with Myefo, after 바카라사이트 minister announced a contribution to a A$20 million upgrade of a small Catholic-owned liberal arts college in Sydney¡¯s west.

Mr Tehan said that 바카라사이트 A$5 million allocation to Campion College would boost educational choice. He said 바카라사이트 government supported private institutions as well as public universities and training colleges. ¡°Private education providers offer an alternative that improves standards and competition across 바카라사이트 board,¡± he said.

Professor Norton said that 바카라사이트 legislative basis of 바카라사이트 allocation was unclear. ¡°An ad hoc grant of A$5 million to ano바카라사이트r Catholic institution creates ra바카라사이트r than corrects an anomaly,¡± he said.

¡°While 바카라사이트re is a case for bringing more non-university higher education providers into 바카라사이트 public funding system, this should be done based on clear criteria ra바카라사이트r than through special deals that appear to favour one religion.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com