University arts degrees to double in price under new reforms
Two out of five students will pay more for their degrees, under sweeping reforms designed to give young people an incentive to study courses that will prepare them for the jobs of the future.
Education
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The cost of an arts degree will more than double as fees are slashed for school leavers wanting to study mathematics, agriculture, IT and nursing at university from next year.
Two out of five students will pay more for their degrees, in sweeping reforms designed to give young people an incentive to study courses that will prepare them for the jobs of the future.
The university reforms, to be announced by Education Minister Dan Tehan today, will not affect current students.
But from next year, the annual cost of a humanities degree will soar from $6804 to $14,500. A nursing degree will cost just $3700 a year, while those studying IT, health, engineering and science will save more than $2000 a year.
In a major speech to the National Press Club, Mr Tehan will say three out of five students will pay less or the same as their current contribution for their degrees.
Students choosing more expensive degrees will also be able to save by choosing elective subjects in priority areas.
“We are encouraging students to embrace diversity and not think about their education as a siloed degree,” Mr Tehan will say. “Students will have a choice. Their degree will be cheaper if they choose to study in areas where there is expected growth in job opportunities.”
As part of the changes, an extra 39,000 university places will be made available for Australians by 2023, which the government believes will be a crucial boost as the coronavirus recession limits job opportunities for youths.
Mr Tehan will say the government is moving to “address the misalignment between the cost of teaching a degree and the revenue that universities receive to teach it”.
“We will reform the system so that the student contribution and the commonwealth contribution actually equals the cost of teaching that degree,” he will say.
“We will also incentivise students to make more job-relevant choices, that lead to more job-ready graduates, by reducing the student contribution in areas of expected employment growth.”
Fees for medicine, dental and veterinary science courses will remain the same.
Over the next four years, 62 per cent of employment growth will come from four industries: healthcare, science and technology, education and construction.
Mr Tehan will say this is part of a “long-term structural shift”, focusing on the need for graduates in particular areas.
“Universities must teach Australians the skills needed to succeed in the jobs of the future,” he will say.