n the Universities Australia (UA) submission (Attachment A) of 1 February 2019 to the Regional Education Expert Advisory Group (Advisory Group), UA called on Government to:
- restore the demand-driven system;
- support university participation programs through appropriate funding of HEPPP;
- review student income support;
- consider how to support universities’ capital needs, especially around student accommodation;
- invest in VET to support regional access to tertiary education, including through various forms of university-VET partnerships; and
- consider options for investment in innovative online delivery of higher education.
UA is pleased these recommendations have been reflected in proposed measures in the six additional papers released by the Advisory Group on 1 March 2019. UA welcomes the opportunity to respond as the peak body representing Australia’s 39 comprehensive universities to the Advisory Group’s proposals in the additional papers.
UA has responded to the proposed measures of greatest relevance to its members and on which it has expertise.
In a separate submission to DET on performance-based funding for the Commonwealth Grants Scheme (CGS), UA noted the single most effective program to enhance performance in diversity, opportunity and success has been the demand-driven system (DDS). This effectively ended with the Government’s funding freeze in 2017. UA contends many of the intended goals for regional and remote higher education students outlined in the six papers could be addressed with a return to the DDS as the starting point.
