CAPA applauds Innovation Statement's removal of fee barrier

The $1 billion 'loan scheme' announced today by the Prime Minister apparently extending HECS to postgraduate coursework studies is an intervention into the otherwise totally deregulated, multi-million dollar market for these courses.

'CAPA has been a lone voice pointing out that qualified students on low and middle incomes can not afford to undertake the postgraduate courses needed for initial professional entry, in-service development or retraining' said CAPA President John Byron.

Full, up-front fee-paying is the only option for most students seeking to enter postgraduate coursework studies. This is a result of Labor's introduction of fees and de-regulation and the Coalition's cuts of 26,000 funded places from postgraduate coursework.

Mr Byron continued, 'the extension of a loans scheme will mitigate one significant barrier to participation.

'It is now up to the Government and the Opposition to ensure that massive debt will not accrue from unregulated university fees.

'It is also imperative that the income repayment threshold for HECS and the loan scheme be restored to the average male weekly wage'.

Mr Byron went on to say, 'It is significant that the Government has listened to CAPA on the issue of access to coursework studies.

'I hope that it will now reconsider its VSU policy which, if enacted by the Senate, will wipe out organisations like CAPA'.