Federation U is set to charge full-fees for students who miss 50 per cent subject completions

VC Duncan Bentley laments this, saying “it has been thrust upon us by the previous government’s Job Ready Graduates package.”

“This approach to managing so-called underperforming students further entrenches social inequity, particularly in remote and regional areas.”

He calls on Prime Minister Albanese to end the policy. “By tweaking the JRG Package we can ensure that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds get the financial support they need to succeed – even when it take them a bit longer to complete their degrees.”

The government also faces demands from humanities lobbies to stop their students being charged maximum fees set by JRG. Doing this and increasing federal funding to make up the difference for universities would cost way more money than ending full-fee penalty for slow completions, potentially making the latter a low-cost way for the government to be able to add to its equity credentials.