University students who flunk half of their first-year courses could lose financial support under a federal government proposal to curb soaring Help debts.
The government has its sight set on students who amass debts by over-enrolling in subjects, sometimes at multiple institutions.
Universities will have to make greater efforts to assess academic suitability for selected courses and monitor students’ progress.
“These measures will ensure students can’t take on a study load they won’t complete, leaving them without a qualification but a large debt,” the education minister, Dan Tehan, said on Thursday.
“The lack of transparency of a student’s enrolment has allowed some non-genuine students to enrol and re-enrol at multiple providers at the same time.”
Under the proposal a student who fails half of their first eight subjects in a degree would lose access to a government-subsidised place and Help loans.
However, higher education providers would have discretion if a student’s performance was affected by exceptional circumstances such as illness.
Low completion rates would not be transferred if a student changed course.
Grattan Institute research found nearly 6% of students failed every subject in their first year at university.
The government reportedly held $66.6bn worth of Help debt in 2018-19 and more than 15% of that was not expected to be repaid.
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said although some students struggle choosing to punish rather than support them made no sense.
“We should be resourcing universities to help struggling students, not denying those students government support to finish their studies,” she said.
“I’m really concerned this approach will target and harm disadvantaged students, who are already at greater risk of dropping out.
“The Liberals are more concerned about saving money than helping students get through university.
“We should be investing our time and money in building well-funded, fee-free university and Tafe. Instead all the Liberals are interested in doing is cutting uni funding, hiking up fees, and punishing students who fall through the cracks.”
