Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

We have heard time and time again that, when colleges have closed, students struggle to get their fees refunded, let alone get their visas extended because the next appropriate course may not start until six months later. These are obviously times when extra costs are incurred by those students through no fault of their own. In light of us wanting to move forward and reinvigorate our international student sector by giving it the respect and attention it deserves, it is important we also understand that students who are caught in the middle of these collapses should not be left out in the cold. I think giving the minister the discretion to draft regulations that would help cover some of those extra costs is important. Yes, that would mean that there needs to be more money put in the kitty from the insurance fund, which would mean that providers need to be more responsible with the types of levies they are charged.