2003 – Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future. CAPA’s analysis of the consequences for postgraduate student

Attachment: CAPA Paper

Minister Nelson released the Government’s higher education reform package on 13 May 2003, which is outlined in the policy paper Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future. The paper outlines the Government’s higher education direction for the next ten years, although the paper predominantly focuses on funding and reform for the next four years.

This CAPA briefing paper examines the elements of the reform package that will have a direct impact on postgraduate students. Please be aware that there are numerous elements of the package which do not effect postgraduate students, such as the Commonwealth Learning Scholarships Programme for full-time undergraduate students or the Overseas Higher Education Loan Programme (OS-HELP) for undergraduate students.

This briefing paper discusses major changes to university funding that will affect all students. It then analyses the consequences of the reform package for:

  • postgraduate coursework students in full fee paying places,
  • postgraduate coursework students in HECS places,
  • postgraduate research students,
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders postgraduate students
  • international postgraduate students,
  • postgraduate students at regional campuses,
  • postgraduate representation on university governing bodies,
  • postgraduate associations.