AU Parliament
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Education

2 items · bills, debates and Question Time, gathered. ← All topics

Bills in progress
Bill · HouseParliament: no vote yet
Education · University funding overhaul

Switch universities to a managed-growth funding model with extra needs-based support — back it or block it?

This bill changes how universities are funded. The government would decide the overall pool of Commonwealth-supported domestic places and international student numbers, with the new Australian Tertiary Education Commission allocating them. It adds needs-based funding for students from low-income, regional and First Nations backgrounds, and effectively uncaps places for those groups. Labor says it delivers $3.6 billion over a decade and around 230,000 extra domestic places, opening university to people who miss out today.

The Coalition has not settled its position and wants a Senate committee inquiry first, warning the bill hands sweeping control over universities to the minister. The debate ran about 73 minutes with no vote taken.

🗳 A public mood-check, not a scientific poll. Vote to see where the room stands.
🗳 be the first to weigh in🏛 1h 13m debated
📄 House Hansard, 2 Jul 2026 — Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026; Second Readingtimeline ▸
Bill · SenateFailed 11–30
Education · University fees (Job-ready Graduates)

Halve arts degree costs by reversing the Job-ready Graduates fee hikes — back it or block it?

This Greens bill would roll back the 2020 "Job-ready Graduates" fee increases for fields like arts, law, commerce, communications and society and culture, cutting the maximum student contribution back to pre-2021 levels. Supporters say it would roughly halve the cost of an arts degree, currently around $56,000, and ease debt that hits low-income students hardest.

Labor and the Coalition both criticised the current scheme but opposed the bill, arguing it would strip about $1.3 billion a year from universities without replacing the money. The Senate rejected it at the second reading, 11 votes to 30.

🗳 A public mood-check, not a scientific poll. Vote to reveal how the chamber voted.
🗳 1 voted🏛 1h debated
📄 Senate Hansard, 1 Jul 2026 — Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025; Second Readingtimeline ▸
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