Controversial job-ready changes to uni fees and funding to pass with Centre Alliance support
An SA senator has agreed to back controversial changes to university fees – increasing the price by more than $22,000 for some but cutting costs for others – after he was lured by the promise of thousands of extra uni places for local students.
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South Australia’s three universities will share an estimated $160 million in extra funding to create 12,000 extra places for students over four years in a deal by the Federal Government with Centre Alliance.
The deal has persuaded Centre Alliance’s SA Senator Stirling Griff to back major reforms to fees and funding for universities.
His vote will be decisive for the job-ready reforms which increase the number of uni places but decrease funding per student.
“This means substantial extra funding for our three universities over four years, over above current funding allocations, and an additional 12,000 students will have access to a university education over a four-year period,” Senator Griff said.
The universities welcomed the breakthrough on the reforms which have been proposed by Education Minister Dan Tehan.
SA now has about 40,000 undergraduate students. It was not immediately clear whether the additional places would be 3000 a year or an uneven split across the four years.
The reforms increase fees for several courses in humanities but decrease fees in courses such as nursing.
However, the federal Opposition, Greens and other crossbench senators were highly critical of the Centre Alliance decision.
Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie, the Centre Alliance spokeswoman on education, said the reform Bill was “by no means perfect” but it delivered certainty on funding, gave more support to
disadvantaged students and students from regional areas and ended a 2017 freeze on increasing funding.
“Without change, many universities were at risk of significant job losses and campus closures going into next year,” Ms Sharkie said.
“And it’s a good deal for SA.”
SA will be classified alongside Tasmania and regional universities which will get 3.5 per cent annual increases, instead of the government’s initial intention for SA only to get 1 per cent funding growth.
Opposition education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said it was “a cruel betrayal of Australian kids”.
The Opposition estimates about 3500 SA students a year will pay $9000 or $23,000 more for their degrees.
The reforms have been fiercely opposed by SA independent Senator Rex Patrick and Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie.
Senator Patrick said the changes won by Centre Alliance were “a band aid on a broken bone” while Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said they’d “been sold a pup”.
Centre Alliance said it had also secured better definitions on “special circumstances” to protect students from losing government funding if they fail more than half their courses. These circumstances are expected to include bushfires or personal trauma.
Centre Alliance has also negotiated funding for four study hubs across regional SA.
UniSA vice-chancellor David Lloyd and Flinders vice-chancellor Colin Stirling said funding certainty would allow for growth.
Adelaide interim vice-chancellor Mike Brooks said it was “a step in the right direction”.
SA Education Minister John Gardner said Centre Alliance had worked “constructively, beyond party lines” to reach the deal.
“It is great to see SA universities will get more funding, higher growth rates, more dollars for industry work placements and more support for regional students,” he said.
Second-reading debate on the Bill began in the Senate on Tuesday.
