Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025; Second Reading

Continued the debate

Faruqi argued that the bill reversed punitive fee hikes that had increased the cost of arts degrees to approximately $56,000, creating unsustainable debt burdens. Faruqi stated that the JRG scheme had reduced low-socioeconomic student commencements by nearly 20 per cent in high-fee courses and condemned the Government for retaining the policy despite previous criticisms. Faruqi contended that the Government could afford to fund universities properly by reallocating resources from other areas, such as nuclear submarines or gas export taxes, rather than maintaining a system that treated education as a market commodity.

Government response

Walsh defended the Government's record, highlighting measures such as capping HELP debt indexation, wiping billions in student debt, and establishing the Commonwealth paid prac scheme. Walsh argued that the Greens bill would reduce university funding by approximately $1.3 billion annually, risking course offerings and staffing without a mechanism to replace that revenue. Walsh stated that the Government was addressing JRG issues through the Australian Universities Accord and the newly established Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which would oversee broader structural reforms to improve access and sustainability.

Opposition response

O'Sullivan opposed the bill, arguing it was constitutionally flawed because it reduced student contributions without appropriating funds to replace the lost revenue for universities. O'Sullivan noted that the JRG scheme had also lowered fees for priority fields such as nursing, teaching, and agriculture, and that a complete review should consider both increases and decreases. O'Sullivan stated that the Coalition supported a comprehensive review of the higher education funding system but rejected the bill as an unsustainable partial rollback that would create financial instability for universities.