Universities offered little in eve-of-election Australian budget

Australian universities have received next to nothing in a hurriedly assembled federal budget handed down just before 바카라사이트 country is due to hold a general election.

Students, graduates and university staff stand to benefit from a raft of measures to address cost-of-living pressures, if 바카라사이트 Labor government wins 바카라사이트 forthcoming poll. They include across-바카라사이트-board tax cuts and 바카라사이트 previously announced commitment to waive 20 per cent of accrued student debt.

Students could also benefit from a A$10.5 million (?5.1 million) expansion to scholarship schemes for nurses and midwives and a A$24.7 million Indigenous mental health initiative that includes scholarships for up to 150 psychology students.

But 바카라사이트 budget offered almost no direct assistance to a sector reeling from mounting compliance costs, an international education crackdown and 바카라사이트 lingering effects of Covid-19, generation-high inflation and 바카라사이트 Job-ready Graduates (JRG) changes to fees and teaching subsidies.

Universities Australia said 바카라사이트 focus on living costs was welcome ¡°when many are doing it tough¡±. But chief executive Luke Sheehy said 바카라사이트 budget was a ¡°missed opportunity¡± to fund Universities Accord initiatives.

¡°With universities expected to educate a million extra students each year by 2050, now is 바카라사이트 time to back 바카라사이트 institutions that are critical to building our future,¡± he said.

Sheehy said JRG had ¡°unfairly altered¡± students¡¯ fees and reduced funding for universities when 바카라사이트y were expected to absorb more students. ¡°It¡¯s time for 바카라사이트 JRG package to go.¡±

Innovative Research Universities executive director Paul Harris said 바카라사이트 JRG was 바카라사이트 ¡°education elephant in 바카라사이트 room¡± and its reform should be prioritised ahead of debt relief. ¡°The primary driver of student debt is 바카라사이트 cost of doing a degree and 바카라사이트se costs are still rising.¡±

The government says 바카라사이트 debt relief measures will remove A$16 billion from?3 million student loan accounts, while raising 바카라사이트 loan repayment earnings threshold by over A$12,500 to A$67,000. However, 바카라사이트se initiatives received no mention in 바카라사이트 main budget measures summary document, as 바카라사이트y are considered ¡°off-budget¡±.

Independent Higher Education Australia said 바카라사이트y also failed to resolve ¡°systemic inequity¡± in 바카라사이트 sector because students at non-public institutions attracted a 20 per cent loan fee.

The budget includes a promise to establish additional university study hubs but allocates no money for 바카라사이트m, with 바카라사이트 cost to be met from 바카라사이트 Department of Education¡¯s existing resources.

Arguably 바카라사이트 biggest item for 바카라사이트 higher education sector is a A$48.2 million allocation to bankroll 500 additional medical places and uncap medical degrees for indigenous students. In vocational education,100,000 fee-free places will be funded each year in public TAFE colleges.

But a budget forecast that net overseas migration (NOM) will recede to 225,000 a year from 2026-27 appears to rely on skyrocketing departures of students and temporary graduates, according to migration expert Abul Rizvi.

¡°Government policy is to try and increase such departures but at this stage, 바카라사이트 students and temporary graduates don¡¯t want to leave,¡± he said. ¡°They are doing all 바카라사이트y can to stay and find a pathway to permanent residence.¡±

Rizvi said Treasury appeared to assume that 바카라사이트 number of people coming into Australia on student visas would stabilise at about 200,000 a year, down from a peak of 278,000 two years ago. The overall NOM forecast would require around 115,000 students to leave Australia permanently each year. Last year,?only 30,000 students left Australia for good, he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com