Australian universities call for free places for disadvantaged students

Sydney [Australia], January 29: The peak body for Australia's universities has urged the government to fund free degrees in areas of skills needed to address workforce shortages.
Universities Australia (UA) on Monday published its pre-budget submission to the federal government, making the case for fee-free university places for disadvantaged students to help employers overcome skilled worker shortages.
According to the UA, the number of students enrolled in higher education in Australia fell by 5 percent between 2021 and 2022.
In order to meet workforce needs for a future where half of new jobs are projected to require a university degree, UA acting chief executive Renee Hindmarsh said higher education participation rates among people from disadvantaged backgrounds must increase.
"Australia requires more university-educated workers to drive economic growth and prosperity, but as demand for graduates grows, less Australians are going to university," she said in a statement.
"Fee-free university for disadvantaged students in areas of critical national priority could help attract more people to university who otherwise wouldn't pursue a degree. This is what the nation needs."
In 2022 the federal, state and territory governments committed 493 million Australian dollars (323.9 million U.S. dollars) in funding to provide 180,000 fee-free vocational education places under the five-year National Skills Agreement.
The UA called for the governments to match that funding to support up to 20,000 fee-free university places in areas of critical skills shortages.
It also advocated for an increase in funding for research and development to maintain the country's world-class research reputation and cost-of-living assistance for students undertaking compulsory placements as part of their studies.
Source: Xinhua