Nats claim victory over push to save social work students from skyrocketing university fees

Social work and psychology students could be spared soaring fees as the Nationals close in on changes to higher education reforms.

Nationals MP Andrew Gee. Picture: Lukas Coch/AAP

The Nationals are boasting that they have secured a major victory in their push to alter the Morrison government’s higher education reforms, saying social work and psychology students will be spared from skyrocketing university fees.

Social work and undergraduate psychology units would no longer sit in the humanities funding cluster, which will see student fees increase by 113 per cent to $14,500 a year, under Nationals amendments and will instead move into the allied health cluster and cost students $7700 a year.

Regional Education Minister Andrew Gee told The Australian on Monday that Education Minister Dan Tehan had agreed to a list of his demands on both the cost of social work degrees and payments designed to help regional students moving for their studies.

A spokesman for Mr Tehan said he would not comment until the whole bill was approved by the Coalition’s joint partyroom on Tuesday, where lingering Liberal-Nationals divisions on the bill will finally be resolved.

Mr Gee said his amendments would improve the government’s reforms, which he has been internally agitating against for months.

“At the end of the day, for me and the Nationals, these amendments are all about equality between the city and the country, and that is why our MPs have been so supportive,” he said.

“It’s not about personality or parties, it’s about getting the best possible result for country people. This is the legislative process working at its best because parliament is the battle of ideas and putting them out there is what people expect MPs to do.

“It is crucial we get tertiary education policy right to ensure that our country universities, and the communities they serve, continue to go from strength to strength. My Nationals colleagues and I will always stand up and fight for the bush.”

The Australian revealed in June that the psychology and social work sectors were highly concerned they would lose out on a future workforce if their necessary degrees faced price hikes similar to the humanities and law.

Changes will also be made to a proposed $5000 tertiary access payment to rural students, which Nationals MPs and regional universities feared would lead students into leaving for metro­politan universities.  The TAP will now be paid directly to universities and given to students through scholarships, instead of in a direct payment.

Scott Morrison defended the higher education fee reforms on Monday to a virtual audience of young leaders, saying they would boost higher education access for young people in the ­regions.

“(Mr Tehan’s) trying to get more opportunities and particularly for young people in regional areas who so often have to leave their homes, leave their communities, leave the life they want to have in regional areas,” the Prime Minister said.

Despite the possibility that Liberal-Nationals divisions may dissipate over the bill, it is most likely the legislation will be referred to a Senate committee review after it is introduced to parliament later this week.

The opposition’s education spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek, said the government had to start again with its reform plans.