ANUSA has condemned the Government’s proposed changes to education funding, and is rapidly planning many protests. The policy, outlined last Monday, cuts more than $3 billion from Australian universities, increases student fees are set to increase by 7.5%, and will lower the HECS repayment threshold to $42,000 per year.
Robyn Lewis, ANUSA Education Officer, told Observer students are “really disappointed and really upset about these changes, and angry that every year the government tries to attack students and tries to attack education”. ANUSA is coordinating with the National Union of Students in a protest next week, to “show solidarity with the national campaign”, Lewis said.
Protest has already begun: While ANUSA held a demonstration outside Education Minister Simon Birmingham’s speech, four ANU students charged the stage, chanting “No cuts, no fees, no corporate universities”. One student hit Birmingham in the face with a napkin before all were removed. Lewis distanced ANUSA from this demonstration, saying the student’s actions were not condoned or planned by ANUSA.
The policies, if passed, will decrease tertiary funding by $3 billion and increase the fees paid by student by 7.5%. Fees will increase at the rate of 1.8% per annum until 2021, and the Government claims that this will mean a price hike of between $2,000 and $3,600 for a four-year course. More expensive courses, such as a six-year medical degree would cost $75,000.
The HELP repayment income threshold will also be lowered under the proposed changes, from $55,000 to $42,000 in an effort to increase the rate of repayment on $52 billion in unpaid HECS-HELP debt. Chief executive of Universities Australia, Belinda Robinson said 89 previous budget measures amounting to $3.9 billion had been taken from the university sector, making it “difficult to justify further cuts that would affect student affordability and put at risk the quality of education”.
The proposal still has to pass the Senate before any changes are confirmed, and Senator Jacqui Lambie has already spoken in opposition to the policy. The Federal Budget is published on the 9th of May, and will reveal more details of the Gonski Reform policy.
