Many regional and rural students might never have the chance to go on to university and value add to their communities the Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) warned today.
Professor Jan Thomas said the massive funding cuts to universities announced yesterday by the Federal Government will seriously affect regional Australia and its universities. For regional communities that rely on their next generation to complete University study and return to their home town to work as nurses, accountants or teachers, the changes could signal a significant decline in such services.
“The reduction of $900 million to university funding over 2014 and 2015 will significantly erode the ability of regional universities to take full advantage of the student demand-driven system, grow our student numbers, and contribute to lifting higher education participation and attainment in regional Australia,” Professor Thomas said.
Higher education is Australia's fourth largest export earner; and as a sector has demonstrated incredible success, despite excessive regulation and compliance costs placed on them by government.
“What the government has done has given a death sentence to regional communities already struggling with agricultural exports significantly affected by the strong Australian dollar. To hit out at regional students many of whom come from some of the country's poorest and most disadvantaged regions is just another body blow.
“The cuts are a significant setback for regional universities and their students,” Professor Thomas said.
“Many regional students already have to relocate to attend university. By removing start up scholarships, students will need to increase their debt to the government or have their families take out personal loans. USQ is particularly concerned that regional Australians will, once again, be on the back foot financially. Making financially disadvantaged students, often first in their family to attend University, enter into even more debt is essentially unAustralian.
“From USQ's perspective we estimate it will cost us at least $3.8 million of government funding in 2014 with further cuts in 2015. These cuts come at a time when Australia already sits a disturbingly 25th out of 29 advanced economies for public investment in universities – as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The decision by the government to cut back on its funding promises when the university system is already under funding pressure will mean that regional universities, in particular, will feel the impact significantly because we don’t have the same critical mass of students and economies of scale that the larger metropolitan universities have.”
Australia needs to be showing the way in developing opportunities for its young people to take up university study not penalising them because they live west of the Dividing Range. Ensuring that all Australians, wherever they live, are able to reach their full potential is necessary if Australia is to remain a productive and competitive nation,” Professor Thomas said.
Professor Thomas was interviewed by Steve Austin on 612 ABC regarding this topic. Her interview can be listened to in full here.
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