Uni fee hikes could hit one in three Tasmanian students
One in three Tasmanian students’ university fees could increase next year under a Federal Government plan — but the proposed changes might still be blocked.
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ONE in three Tasmanian students’ university fees could increase under changes the Federal Government wants to introduce next year.
And one in five could see their fees more than double, according to a Sunday Tasmanian analysis of the policy and Tasmanian study trends.
But the economist who designed Australia’s HECS system says fee changes won’t have the desired outcome of driving more students into fields with growing job opportunities.
A third of Tassie students choose degrees in society and culture, creative arts, and management and commerce, which will all have fee increases under the proposed changes.
Society and culture, the second most popular field in Tasmania chosen by more than 5400 students, could see fees more than double $6804 to $14,500.
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While the changes will only impact future enrolments, not current students, an analysis of Education Department data shows two thirds of Tasmanian students pick courses where fees will be slashed.
Health — the most popular field, chosen by more than 12,600 University of Tasmania students in 2018 — would have fees reduced from $9698 to $7400 under the plan.
Education, chosen by less than 10 per cent of students, would have fees reduced from $6804 to $3700.
The cost of engineering, chosen by just 3 per cent of students, would also fall from $9698 to $7400, while IT, chosen by just 1 per cent, would be cut at the same rate.
Veteran economist Bruce Chapman, who designed Australia’s HECS system, said the fees changes would have almost no impact on students’ decision making because HECS-HELP loans meant they wouldn’t have to pay upfront.
“If you’ve always wanted to be a vet and they made it more expensive you don’t suddenly say ‘Oh, I think I’ll be a nurse instead,” the Australian National University professor said.
“People follow what they’re interested in and good at.”
The University of Tasmania is waiting for more details before it declares a stance on the reforms.
Crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie, whose vote will help decide whether the reforms pass Parliament or not, has also yet to decide whether to back them.
But independent Member for Clark Andrew Wilkie said the “damage will be felt for generations” if fee increases for the humanities passed.
“This country needs critical and creative thinkers every bit as much as it needs engineers, nurses and teachers,” he said.
He called for free undergraduate university degrees for all Australians in their discipline of choice instead.
State Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said it was ultimately a matter for UTas and the Federal Government but welcomed it giving more opportunities for Tasmanians in rural and regional areas.
“I welcome the package as it recognises the importance of Tasmanians, and indeed all Australians, of having access to quality education and encourages students into fields where there are going to be strong employment opportunities,” he said.
Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan defended the fee changes while Australia was facing “the greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression”.
“We will make degrees cheaper in areas of expected future job growth to encourage students to really think about the job outcomes from their student choices,” he said.
“Nowhere in our reforms does it say universities have to charge students the top rate for a degree, every university has the autonomy to charge below the rate cap, for example in social work degrees.”
Labor’s education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek called the reforms a “dog’s breakfast”.
“They actually make it harder for young people to study degrees such as science, maths, engineering, and IT,” she said.
The reforms will also create 100,000 extra university places next year for domestic students. But the changes could be blocked in the Senate by Labor and the crossbench.
Most popular fields of study for Tasmanian university students:
Health - 12,626 students
Society and culture - 5479 students
Creative arts - 2535 students
Education - 2391 students
Management and commerce - 1901 students
Natural and physical sciences - 1477 students
Engineering and related technologies - 875 students
Agriculture, environmental and related studies - 774 students
Information Technology - 346 students
Architecture and building - 184 students
Source: Federal Education Department data for domestic students at the University of Tasmania for 2018 (full year)
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