[Muanet] Funding shortfall blamed for $200k degrees

[Chris Latham]

Funding shortfall blamed for $200k degrees


The vice chancellor of the Australian National University (ANU) says a lack of Federal Government funding is behind the decision of several universities to charge more than $200,000 for a degree.

A few years ago Prime Minister John Howard was concerned that the cost of university degrees not get beyond $100,000 in Australia.

But from next year, full-fee paying students studying medicine at Bond University, Melbourne University and Monash will get a bill of more than $200,000.

At the University of New South Wales the figure is a mortgage-sized $237,000.

Professor Ian Chubb says ANU is not charging such high fees because it does not want to exclude people who are not rich or willing to go deep into debt.

He says that rather than introduce a cap on full fees, the Government should be funding universities adequately. 

"Most of my colleagues would argue that they [charge high fees] because of inadequate funding levels, and that's been the case for 25 years," he said.

"There's been a slow, steady decline in the amount of money we get per student. 

"I think that's something that should be arrested and I think that Australians have got to be concerned to ensure that education is available to people who want it, with talent, for a price that doesn't exclude some people from it."

The Federal Opposition has condemned the rising costs.

Labor's education spokeswoman, Jenny Macklin says the Opposition remains committed to abolishing full-fee degrees.

Ms Macklin says few young people or their families can afford such fees.


'New phase'


Professor Chubb says the higher education sector is at an interesting point.

"From what I understand there are already universities that are not meeting their target quotas," he said.

"When you add into that full fees, or fee-paying courses, then I'm not sure how this complicated mix will shake-down.

"It seems to me that we're entering a new phase and I think the impact is quite unpredictable."

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