Media Releases

Postgraduate students voice their concerns about the Federal Budget

12 May 15

905765_917298891644915_2115991332655167385_o-940x300 Sydney – As the 2015-16 budget looms, Australia’s postgraduate students are becoming increasingly concerned about what the future holds for them.

Today the Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations stood alongside students rallying outside the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) who are voicing their distrust in the budget and policy-makers in Canberra.

In the past year, postgraduate students have witnessed:

  • $103.9M of Austudy support for postgraduate coursework students cut from the budget
  • $80M from Cooperative Research Center funds
  • $139M from Future Fellowships
  • $150M NCRIS funding crisis and
  •  a proposed cut of $173.7M from the Research Training Scheme packaged with the introduction of a fee of up to $3,900 pa on research degrees to compensate universities for the loss in revenue.

‘This $646.6M attack on research funding has caused widespread concern among postgraduate students across Australia’ said the National President Harry Rolf.

‘Cuts to research training funds and fees on research degrees have immediate impact on the livelihoods of students and their ability to study at university. Cuts to research funding further reducing the already dwindling pool of university resources dedicated towards research. Most significantly cuts to research mean even less opportunities and pathways into research careers for postgraduate students when they graduate.’

‘We are very concerned about what the budget has in store for both postgraduate students and research, but we are not holding our breath. Today and tomorrow we will continue to make our voices heard’ concluded Harry Rolf.

ENDS

Media Contact:

Harry Rolf | National President | 0431 280 817 | president@capa.edu.au

Caitlin Bruty | Media Officer | 0419 533 297 | media@capa.edu.au