- Australia's hard-hit private college sector will receive a $53 million funding boost in next month's Federal Budget, Education Minister Alan Tudge has announced.
- Non-university education providers will be encouraged to tailor courses for online or offshore delivery, and courses for domestic students will be subsidised.
- The announcement comes as international student arrivals remain at rock-bottom levels due to border closures.
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Australia's hard-hit private college sector will receive a new $53 federal funding injection, designed to support institutions cut off from the lucrative international student pipeline.
In a statement, Education Minister Alan Tudge revealed the May 11 Federal Budget will include funds to shepherd smaller education providers through ongoing border closures.
"Many non-university providers have seen revenue decline very sharply and without some support, they may close or lose serious capacity," Tudge said.
"The package is measured and targeted at those who need it most while borders are closed."
Australian Bureau Statistics data reveals that in March 2019, a year before the COVID-19 pandemic led Australia to close its borders, some 75,710 people entered Australia on temporary student visas.
In March 2021, that number plummeted to just 230. No significant return to pre-pandemic numbers is expected any time this year, leaving Australia's tertiary education sector without a major proportion of its student cohort.
The $53 million in funding will be separated into three areas.
Some 5,000 short course placements for domestic students will be supported by a $26.1 million funding boost, applicable to 100 non-university education providers.
A $9.4 innovation fund will be established, offering grants of up to $150,000 to organisations which can demonstrate they are tailoring their courses for online study, or offshore delivery.
Non-university education providers will also receive $17.7 million in fee relief, mitigating payments to government regulatory bodies like Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and the Australian Skills Quality Authority.
And to usher domestic students into tutorial rooms, some 30,000 new and existing students will receive a FEE-HELP loan fee exemption.
In a statement, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) welcomed the Federal Government's recognition that continual border closures are drastically impacting the education sector.
But the union described the latest funding announcement as a "band-aid" which won't address the underlying issues.
Many of the 17,000 job losses in the university sector over the past year "could have been saved if the government had allowed universities to access JobKeeper or provided a real rescue package," NTEU National President Dr Alison Barnes said.
"Being slow with the COVID vaccination program and re-opening borders means that it's still uncertain whether or not international students will be able to return for 2022.
"The current crisis affecting both public and private providers is likely to get worse."