UNSW Newsroom 8 August 2012
What’s been largely lost in the heated debate over fee deregulation is the urgency of the financial situation facing our universities. Revenue is simply failing to keep pace with costs, as evidenced by the number of universities now engaged in redundancy programs in an effort to reduce spending. Universities should be able to charge a higher student contribution for selected “premium” degrees, such as medicine, law, engineering and business, which qualify graduates for well paid professional careers – the higher the potential private benefit, the higher the student contribution. Under HECS-HELP, repayments are only made when a certain income threshold is reached, and are proportionate to income. And equity measures, such as scholarships to cover living costs, would further protect students from lower socio economic groups.
If a significant and sustainable growth in government funding is not forthcoming we must put all our options on the table and engage in a meaningful debate. Otherwise, our only choice is damaging cost cuts which will undermine the very quality education we are seeking to expand. If fee deregulation isn’t the answer, then it’s time the government told us what is.
