Taxpayers will spend $3.6 billion in student subsidies for an extra 230,000 poor or country students to enrol at university over the next 10 years, as the Albanese Government funnels funding towards disadvantage. Source: The Australian.
Universities will also be handed bonus cash to help struggling students, mirroring the needs-based “Gonski funding” model used for schools.
The reform is designed to strengthen regional universities and reserve more places in city sandstone institutions for disadvantaged students.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said poor students and those living in the bush or regional towns would be guaranteed a taxpayer-subsidised place at university so long as they met academic entry requirements next year.
“If you get the marks, or you’ve got the skills, you’ve got what it takes – you will get a place,” Mr Clare said on Wednesday. “We’re also making sure you will get the support you need when you get there.’’
Mr Clare introduced the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill to Parliament yesterday, including 16,000 additional university places each year to attract students from country towns, remote areas, or the poorest city suburbs.
The number of extra places will rise to 19,000 each year from 2030, with a target of 230,000 new students enrolling in university over the next decade.
The legislation will switch university funding to a “needs-based” model like the school funding system, designed by business leader David Gonski, which funnels the most taxpayer funding to students who are disabled, poor, Indigenous, migrant or living in regional or remote areas.
Under the changes, the federal government will double its disadvantage payments to universities to cover the extra cost of tutoring, mentoring, scholarships and emergency financial support.
From January 1 next year, universities will be paid an extra $1535 loading annually for every poor student, and $1398 for regional or remote students – up from the existing $600.
FULL STORY
Universities to win $3.6bn bonus funding to enrol an extra 230,000 disadvantaged students (The Australian)
