Back in November a government discussion paper floated “new arrangements” for funding enabling and sub-degree places in 2020.

But as for now publicly funded coursework masters, “it is important any government investment is appropriately targeted to ensure benefits to the broader community are also achieved” (CMM November 14).

Responses to the paper were due in February and the Innovative Research Universities nailed the challenge the feds face in the masters-space, “the growing array of specialisations within broad professional categories along with the trend for professional bodies to raise the requirements for practice means the array of courses leading to professional practice continues to develop,” (CMM February 18).

So, with 2020 imminent what will the government  do? “The government is in the process of finalising the redistribution arrangements for enabling, sub-bachelor and postgraduate Commonwealth supported places. Universities will be notified of the arrangements for reallocation of these CSPs shortly” the Department of Education told CMM yesterday.

“The arrangements will be informed by the submissions to the consultation paper, and take into account which universities are fully using their allocated places and which have demand for places they cannot currently meet.”