University funding review needs wide remit
The Group of Eight (Go8) today welcomed the Government’s announcement of the terms of reference for its long awaited review of base funding for university teaching, funding relativities and the sharing of costs.
Today’s announcement delivers on a commitment made by the Government in response to the Bradley Review to “commission a review of the base funding levels for learning and teaching in higher education to ensure that funding levels remain internationally competitive and appropriate for the sector, together with work on options for achieving a more rational and consistent sharing of costs between students and across discipline clusters.”
Go8 executive director, Michael Gallagher, said he welcomes the fact that Government has honoured this commitment and hopes the review committee will adopt a broad approach and ensure all options are on the table.
“This review needs to provide a framework for the sustainable financing of Australia’s universities. It will be disappointing if this opportunity is missed and only minor modifications result from the review.
“The terms of reference need to be interpreted broadly to permit consideration of differential government funding rates and price point differences across the system. The current model of the same funding rate for all courses at all institutions regardless of differences in costs of delivery and quality is no longer appropriate for sustaining a diverse system.
“Given the broader student population to be catered for it will be essential that enabling funding is included in the review, not as a top-up but as an integral element in the funding base.
“We know from the 2003 higher education reforms that within two years of legislation allowing universities to charge up to 25% more than the base level of HECS, all universities were charging the maximum amount.
“The recent Browne review of England’s higher education funding should be the first document on the reading list for members of the review committee.
“This review does not release the Government from its responsibility to students already in the system and those who enter university in 2011 and 2012.
“The review’s timeline means that it will be the 2013 academic year before any funding increases can flow to universities. Current students will continue to suffer funding inadequacies unless the Government addresses the issue in the 2011 Budget.”
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Kerrie Thornton
Director, Communications and International
The Group of Eight Ltd
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