Has the United Kingdom sold their student debt?

Image source: Wikimedia commons

On a recent Q&A program Education Minister Christopher Pyne, in response to a question about selling HECS debt, stated: ‘Britain have sold their HECS debt as an asset and we should investigate whether that is a sensible move for us to do so.’ This Flag Post looks at the UK experience of selling some of their student loan; of a 2007 proposal to sell more that did not proceed and of recent proposals to again sell part of their student debt asset.

For sale: Refurbished National Research Priorities

Image source: DIICCSRTE

Back in 2002, the Howard Government announced four National Research Priorities (NRPs) to focus investment on research in key areas that could deliver significant economic, social and environmental benefits to Australia.

The Australian Government has just unveiled 15 new Strategic Research Priorities; the result of a long-awaited and thoughtful refurbishment.

Higher education savings - students pick up the bill

Image source: Vic Department of Education

The government’s Statement on Higher Education announces savings measures in three areas. Reaction from, and on behalf of, the higher education sector has been negative. The peak body representing universities, Universities Australia, has condemned the cuts.

Yet it is not the universities that will bear the brunt of the savings but their students.

And then there were none: HECS discounts

Image source: WA Dept of Commerce

On 13 April 2013 the Australian government released a Statement on Higher Education. One of the three savings measures announced is ‘removal of the 10 per cent discount on paying university fees upfront and the 5 per cent bonus received for voluntary repayment of HELP debts’. 

This move is the end of the line for two incentives that have been whittled away over the past ten years. Abolishing them is expected to save $230 million.

Australia in the Asian Century: Improving university rankings

Image: Macquarie University

The Asian Century White Paper sees higher education as a key sector in developing capabilities for economic success in what it calls ‘the Asian century’ and sets a national objective that ‘by 2025 10 of Australia’s universities will be in the world’s top 100’.
A number of questions arise from this objective, including the appropriateness of world rankings in setting and measuring goals; the degree of investment required to improve rankings and a decision on which ranking system to use.

World rankings have largely arisen in the last decade and there are now five major world university ranking systems. They have variations in methodologies but all stress research investment and performance over other measures such as teaching quality. As a recent Group of Eight analysis states: ‘As they are currently structured world university rankings do not relate well to the missions of universities whose principal mission is not research, or at least not internationally-referenced basic research’.

Australia's tertiary students - the latest snapshot

Almost twice as many higher education graduates enrol in vocational education and training courses than the other way round.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) has just released Tertiary Education and Training 2010, an annual publication that compares vocational education and training (VET) and higher education on a range of key measures.

It draws on data from the National VET Provider Collection and the Higher Education Statistics Collection.

Are maths and science enrolments increasing?

Image source: RMIT University

In the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook the Government announced savings of $403.6 million over three years through a measure to increase the HECS amount for mathematics and science students from 2013. The increase will reverse the 2009 reduction in HECS which aimed at increasing enrolments in the science disciplines.

This post discusses the trends in enrolments following the 2008-2009 Budget measure.

Government extends special Youth Allowance access to Inner Regional students

Image: University of the Sunshine Coast

The Government has announced that it will introduce legislation allowing students from inner regional areas to access independent Youth Allowance under the same rules that apply to students from Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote areas.

This follows the Government’s release of a scheduled review of student income support reforms conducted by Professor Kwong Lee Dow (the Dow Review).

The Government brought forward the review by 12 months in response to concerns about access to income support by students in rural and regional areas. The Government has not accepted Professor Dow’s most contentious recommendation which is to remove the current special arrangements for young people from Outer Regional, Remote and Very Remote Australia and establish a single new self-supporting criterion for independence for young people.

Will access to ‘gap year’ Youth Allowance improve regional students participation in higher education?

In the recent Senate debate on Senator Nash's private member’s bill to extend the criteria for Independent Youth Allowance to Inner Regional students the issue of why so few regional students go on to tertiary education was raised and an argument made that the ability to take a gap year and qualify for Youth Allowance would improve regional students’ access to and participation in higher education.

Opposition Youth Allowance bill referred to committee

A Private Member's Bill, introduced by Senator Fiona Nash, seeking to make it easier for students in inner regional areas to qualify for Independent Youth Allowance has been referred to the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee for inquiry and report by 15 February 2011. The purpose of the bill, the Social Security Amendment (Income Support for Regional Students) Bill 2010, is to require that the eligibility criteria for students on Independent Youth Allowance from very remote, remote and outer regional areas be extended to include inner regional students.

Background to this issue can be found in a recent post on Senator Nash's Bill and a related House of Representatives motion introduced by Opposition Whip, Nola Marino (and passed by 74 votes to 70).

Opposition seeks changes to eligibility for Youth Allowance for inner regional students

The House of Representatives has passed by 74 votes to 70 a motion by Opposition whip Nola Marino ‘requiring’ the Government to introduce legislation that would make it easier for students in inner regional areas to qualify for independent Youth Allowance. Meanwhile, in the Senate, National Party Senator, Fiona Nash, has introduced a private members bill that seeks to introduce a measure along the same lines as that proposed in Ms Marino’s motion.

This issue has its origins in substantial changes to student assistance that the Rudd-Gillard Government introduced through the Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Income Support for Students) Bill 2009.