Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says changes to tertiary education will help more Gippsland students to study at university and address local skill shortages.
Mr Chester welcomed the announcement of a new $5000 payment which, from next year, will help students relocating more than 90 minutes from their homes in outer regional or remote areas to further their education by studying for a Certificate IV qualification or higher.
“Helping young Gippslanders achieve their full potential was one of the main reasons I entered politics and we have to reduce the barriers for country students seeking to undertake higher education,” Mr Chester said.
“As this year’s year 12 students consolidate their learning over the holidays after a disrupted start to their final year at school, their families are working out whether they can afford to send their child away from home to attend the university of their choice.
“For many families in Gippsland, this is one of the most significant and pressing issues they face.
“We want more regional students to go on to further study, training and employment. A government payment that helps with paying rental bonds, text books and study materials, rent, bills and groceries may well be a deciding factor for many families.”
The Tertiary Education Payment is a one-off, non-indexed, means-tested payment of $5000 for school leavers transitioning directly to further full-time study. A parental income threshold of $250,000 applies. The payment will be made in two instalments during the first year of study.
The payment is a recommendation of the National Regional, Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy, known as the Napthine Review, which found the cost of regional and remote students undertaking a tertiary education could be $25-30,000 more than for a student from the city.
Mr Chester said the new payment would address the barriers facing regional students.
“We know students from regional and rural areas are less likely to attend university,” Mr Chester said. “The funding for relocation and living expenses will support students who want to continue their education.”
The Federal Government has also announced university students would pay less from next year for degrees in areas of expected employment growth and demand.
Students will pay:
- 46 per cent less to study teaching, nursing, clinical psychology, English and languages
- 62 per cent less to study agriculture and maths, and
- 20 per cent less to study health, architecture, environmental science, IT and engineering.
The fees for some courses will remain unchanged, while others will increase. The overall cost of degrees can be reduced by including electives in maths and IT.
Students will continue to have access to the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). There remain no upfront fees and loan repayments are not required until a student’s earnings reach $46,620 (currently for the 2020-21 financial year).
Mr Chester said the fee reduction for courses in growth industries would encourage students to enrol.
“One way we can address skill shortages in Gippsland is to support and encourage our young people during their education, knowing they are more likely to take up a position and make a life in a regional or rural area than their classmates from the city,” Mr Chester said.
The Federal Government will also provide an additional 39,000 university places by 2023 to meet the expected increase in demand because of the coronavirus.
“Many of our year 12 students are now thinking about what they will do next year,” Mr Chester said.
“The pandemic has curtailed overseas travel and caused unemployment to rise, so many students will choose to continue their education and demand for university places will jump.”
Details about the Tertiary Access Payment are available at https://www.education.gov.au/access-and-participation
