10th Oct 2024, 9:05 AM – Representatives Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024 - Consideration in Detail - Maximum student contribution amounts for places and HELP indexation

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, which means they will not be included in the bill.

What would these amendments do?

Dr Ryan explained that:

One of the amendments that I'm moving would dismantle the Job-ready Graduates scheme to the extent that the cost of arts degrees would return to where it was prior to the scheme's inception. I ask the minister to consider this in all certainty because this is a really problematic issue for many Australian students, as he knows.

[...]

Insult is again added to injury by the fact that the tax office collects HECS payments throughout the year but doesn't adjust the balance owing until a tax return is filed. That means it doesn't adjust the balance to reflect the payments made by graduates until after indexation is applied. Students end up paying more than they expect, and it's not fair. They have seen their debts increase, despite their best efforts to pay them off. My understanding is that, through this means, the government is accruing as much as $1 billion a year in additional income. This is at the expense of graduates. It's not fair or reasonable, and my amendments include the suggestion that the government change the timing of indexation, applying it after payments have been accrued to graduates' balances, to redress this inequity.

Amendment text

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (after table item 6), insert:

6A. Schedule 1A

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(2) Schedule 1, page 4 (after line 6), after item 1, insert:

1A Paragraph 140-5(1)(b)

Omit “1 June”, substitute “1 December”.

1B Subsection 140-5(1) (method statement)

Omit “1 June” (wherever occurring), substitute “1 December”.

1C Subsection 140-10(1)

Omit “for 1 June in a financial year”, substitute “for 1 December in a financial year”.

(3) Schedule 1, page 6 (before line 1), before item 6, insert:

5A Section 140-20

Omit “before 1 June”, substitute “before 1 December”.

(4) Schedule 1, page 6 (after line 3), after item 6, insert:

6A Section 140-20

Omit “that 1 June”, substitute “that 1 December”.

(5) Schedule 1, page 7 (after line 26), after item 17, insert:

17A Application of amendments

The amendments made by this Part apply on and from 1 December 2025.

(6) Page 28 (after line 10), after Schedule 1, insert:

Schedule 1A— Maximum student contribution amounts for places

Part 1 — Main amendments

Higher Education Support Act 2003

1 Section 93-10

Omit “The maximum student contribution amount for a place ”, substitute “(1) Subject to subsection (2), the maximum student contribution amount for a place ”.

2 At the end of section 93-10

Add:

(2) The table in subsection (1) has effect in relation to a place in a unit of study included in the Society and Culture funding cluster as if the amount specified for the cluster was instead the amount specified immediately before the amendments made by Schedule 2 to the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Act 2020 commenced.

Part 2 — Application provisions

3 Application provision

The amendments made by Part 1 of this Schedule apply in relation to a unit of study that has a census date that is on or after the commencement of that Part (whether the unit of study is part of a course of study commenced before, on or after that day).