Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth) Share this | Hansard source

in reply—I thank members on both sides of the House for their contributions and for their support of the important changes in the Higher Education Support Amendment Bill 2009. As we know, this bill provides technical amendments to further streamline the operation of the FEE-HELP and VET FEE-HELP assistance schemes which continues the government’s objective of making administrative efficiencies in support of the broader agenda to extend the availability of income contingent loans.

We know that an important part of the education revolution is encouraging greater accessibility of education for all Australians. VET FEE-HELP assistance is aimed at encouraging students to take up higher level qualifications, by reducing the financial barriers associated with study. From 1 July 2009 the VET FEE-HELP Assistance Scheme was extended to assist certain state government subsidised students. This bill makes amendments to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to streamline the application and assessment process for higher education and training organisations applying for approval to offer FEE-HELP and VET FEE-HELP assistance to their students. The amendments will provide administrative efficiencies, resulting in faster approvals of higher education and VET providers, therefore giving students access to financial assistance sooner. In particular, the bill will amend the tuition assurance provisions in the act to remove the administrative requirement for higher education and training organisations to have tuition assurance arrangements in place at the date that they apply for approval to offer FEE-HELP or VET FEE-HELP assistance to students.

The bill also provides amendments to help eliminate duplication between Commonwealth and state and territory agencies and reduce the cost and the time taken to assess a training organisation’s application for approval under the act. These amendments deliver increased efficiencies in the administration of these schemes, making it easier and faster for higher education and training organisations to be approved to offer assistance for students. This is a good result for our higher education institutions and, importantly, a good result for the students of Australia. With that in mind, I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment.

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