The VET FEE-HELP (VFH) scheme was a component of the Australian Government’s Higher Education Loan Program. Under the program, eligible students could access Government income contingent loans, which removed up-front cost barriers to tertiary education and training. VFH loans were incurred by the student and the course fees paid directly to the education provider. Students...

A 15 per cent loan fee on all new tertiary education lending could save the Commonwealth $700 million a year and make the Higher Education Loan Program more affordable for government. The fee would help to offset the government’s interest costs, while being fair to all students and preserving the loan program’s social goals. Interest...

The second edition of the ASG Parents Report 2016 investigates the state of education in Australia from parents’ perspective, and to understand how parents feel about the current educational environment in meeting their children’s learning needs. The 2016 report captures a broader snapshot of the learning environment; taking into account additional influences such as use...

The federal government is finally moving to rein in the VET FEE-HELP vocational student loan scheme that has been widely rorted and has cost the budget billions of dollars. The scheme, introduced by the Gillard Government in 2012, completely deregulated fees, allowing providers to charge whatever they want. Over the years unscrupulous providers have signed...

A collection of articles on national education policy was posted to the TJ Ryan Foundation website during this year’s federal election campaign. Much of this commentary highlighted the failure of the campaign to confront the policy vacuum which faces administrators in tertiary institutions and those charged with the equitable distribution of public and private funds...