Access and Participation
NTEU supports a higher education system in which the opportunity to participate is extended to all who have the ability and the motivation, regardless of their capacity to pay. Yet, over the past decade in particular, the number of full-fee-paying students from Australia and overseas has continued to grow, in absolute terms and as a proportion of the overall student population. The costs to publicly-funded students have also grown, as a result of changes to the Higher Education Contribution Scheme and increasing ancillary frees. We are starting to see the impact of these changes in terms of reduced applications to study at university, in a shift in the mix of disciplines and courses to favour those which generate fee income, and a decline or stasis in participation rates among some sections of the community.
NTEU lobbies politicians and institutions around these issues, as well as conducting research into issues relating to access and participation.
Further information:
| Graduate Outcomes | The NTEU is constantly monitoring Graduate Outcomes and how they are effected by government policies and university management. |
| HECS & Student Funding Issues | NTEU works closely with the National Union of Students (NUS) on funding issues effecting students including the Higher Education Contribution Scheme. |
| Student Support | NTEU closely monitors student support issues in conjunction with with the National Union of Students (NUS). |
| Undergraduate & Postgraduate Fees | Fees are a major issue for both staff and students and as such are looked at closely by NTEU. |
| Chart 1 - Estimates of Unment Demand for University Places | Estimates of Unment Demand for University Places Australia 1998 - 2004 |