Eighty per cent of Australia’s workforce will have tertiary qualifications by 2050 under an ambitious target announced by Labor in Tuesday night’s budget, in a bid to meet the shortages of a changing economy. Treasurer Jim Chalmers used his budget to announce the government would spend $1.1bn over five yearsContinue Reading
Anthony Albanese’s plan to wipe $3 billion in HECS-HELP student debt for three million Aussies has left many asking the same question. “Can I get a refund for the HECS I’ve already paid in full?” one user wrote on X, echoing hundreds of similar comments across social media. Another wrote,Continue Reading
Students and recent graduates saddled with ballooning debts and those partaking in placements for subjects like teaching and nursing are in line for relief in the upcoming federal budget. Speaking to reporters in Canberra, Treasurer Jim Chalmers hinted at measures designed to ease education costs at a time of heightenedContinue Reading
A national watchdog will be created to deal with growing safety concerns and rife gender-based violence on Australia’s university campuses. State education ministers met with federal counterpart Jason Clare on Friday, where they agreed to an action plan to address gender-based violence in higher education, developed in response to theContinue Reading
Major changes are set for Australian workers as the government races to address a rapidly aging population and looming changes to the global economy. The first treasury document of its kind since 1994, the new employment white paper released on Monday and entitled ‘Working Future’, includes initiatives and policy directionsContinue Reading
Frustration over inaction on sexual violence on campus has boiled over as the peak body was unable to guarantee if it would fund fresh research into the matter. The 2021 National Student Safety Survey found one in 20 students had been sexually assaulted since starting university. One in six reportedContinue Reading
A refresh to how student debt is accumulated is required as part of an overhaul to Australia’s university sector, a report canvassing proposed reforms has declared. The Australian Universities Accord Interim Report, released on Wednesday, recommends revising student contribution amounts, payment for mandatory placements, and debt relief for graduates “inContinue Reading
Millions of Australians are expected to be hit with hikes in their HECS repayments amid skyrocketing inflation. Student loans, known as HECS-Help, are not charged interest. Instead, the full amount is indexed to inflation each year. They are often labelled a “good debt” – being far cheaper than other typesContinue Reading
A proposal to abolish the indexation on $74bn of student debt has been put on ice after a parliamentary inquiry recommended the bill should be scrapped. The senate’s higher education legislation committee tabled its report on Monday into the Greens push which also included raising the minimum repayment income toContinue Reading