2011 – Base Funding (Lomax-Smith) Review

Attachment: CAPA Submission

In 2009, Australia had 813,896 domestic higher education students enrolled in higher education institutions, 197,619 (24 per cent) of whom were domestic postgraduate students. If international students are included, postgraduates make up 27 per cent of the total higher education student population, and although international students only make up 28.3 per cent of the total student population, they are 36 per cent of the postgraduate student population.

As the Consultation Paper for the Higher Education Base Funding Review highlighted, Australia is not performing very well in achieving equity and access amongst disadvantaged segments of the population, with low SES, regional and remote, and indigenous students all significantly under-represented (Australian Government 2010).

As Australia approaches 2012, the first year of uncapped undergraduate numbers, it is essential that the Government follow through immediately on the remainder of funding recommended in the Bradley Review to ‘increase the base funding for teaching and learning in higher education by 10 per cent from 2010’ (2008).

Refer to the link to read CAPA’s full Base Funding Review submission