Overview For people new to higher education and higher education policy, the field can seem bewildering. Basic facts are surprisingly difficult to find and interpret. Funding entitlements reflect the sector’s history more than consistent policy principles. Proposed radical changes to higher education policy add to the complexity. Mapping Australian higher education, 2014-15, the third report...

In 2012, the Australian Government lifted previously imposed limits on the funding of bachelor-degree students at public universities. This new system was called ‘demand driven’ because it allowed universities to respond to student demand and allowed more students to benefit from higher education. On 12 November 2013 Minister for Education, the Hon Christopher Pyne, appointed...

The Commonwealth Government could save more than $800 million a year by 2017, according to this report, if it recovers outstanding student loans from deceased estates and people living overseas. Overview: Student loans have helped millions of Australians finance their higher education since the Government introduced the Higher Education Contribution Scheme, HECS, in 1989. The...

This paper argues that the Commonwealth Government should reconsider any plan to end its university open access policy. Overview After just 18 months of operation, Australia’s radical experiment in uncapping undergraduate university enrolments is under threat. According to its critics – which include the higher education minister and a leading vice-chancellor – it admits academically...

This report argues that the Commonwealth Government should create 2500 teaching-focused positions in universities as part of a national effort to raise the quality of teaching in higher education. Overview Australia has national debates about the quality of teaching in our schools. We worry about who is recruited to teach, what qualifications they have, and...