A new website will provide prospective students with all relevant admissions information for universities across the country. Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced the initiative yesterday in his address to the Universities Australia conference.

“This is long overdue and will put students in the driver seat when it comes to making study choices,” Senator Birmingham said.

The new site will include course entry requirements, ATAR spreads, details of special consideration for entry presented consistently by all universities and other higher education providers. It expands on the common terminology and transparent entry score scheme now in place.

With professional course accreditation reform (CMM yesterday) and a renewed commitment to engage universities in developing performance measures, the admissions announcement was at the heart of Senator Birmingham’s carefully calibrated address.

The minister acknowledged the MYEFO funding cuts as the “elephant in the room” but said “many in the university sector had underestimated the resolve of government” to address the budget deficit. Given the failure of successive attempts to contain spending, starting with the Gillard Government in 2013, “the uncertainty could go on no longer.”