Government changes to university fees

22 June 2020

The Coalition Government have made changes that will make it harder and more expensive to go to university.

 

I share your concerns about the impact of the Government’s announcement.

 

Under these changes, on average, students will pay higher university fees, with the cost of some degrees more than doubling. On top of this, thousands of Australians will miss out on a university education altogether because the Liberals are failing to provide enough places.

 

Experts have spoken up against the changes, demonstrating that they won’t actually get young people into high priority jobs as the Liberals claim.

 

Youth unemployment has gone through the roof in this recession. About one in six young people can’t find work, the worst situation in 20 years. If young people can’t earn, they should have the opportunity to learn.

 

Labor believes young people who work hard and get the marks should have the opportunity to go to university or TAFE. There is no justification for forcing kids onto the dole queue.

 

When Labor was last in office, we opened the doors of higher education to an additional 190,000 people, many of whom were the first in their family to go to university. We also provided additional support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which saw the number of regional, rural and Indigenous students more than double.

 

Every one of Scott Morrison’s Liberal Cabinet Ministers went to university, but they don’t think our kids deserve the same chance.

 

I can assure you Labor will continue to hold the Government to account for these changes and fight for Australians to have the opportunity of a quality education in our world class universities and TAFEs.