But how to fund them when there are “huge demands on the budget”

On RN yesterday Education Minister Dan Tehan acknowledged demand for UG places will be up for next year as a result of the COVID-19 jobs turndown. “This is something we will continue to discuss with the university sector.”

Mr Tehan added that the “overwhelming success” of the short-courses the government is funding for people to up-skill during the COVID-crisis, “points a way to how we can work together to make sure we can deal with this extra demand.”

As for more money to fund more UG places, the minister was not for drawing but he did keep coming back to the short-courses, “which point the way to the direction we can go” to meet increase demand. “Understanding, of course,” he added “there are huge demands on the budget.”

So how could the minister pull a places rabbit out of an empty budget hat?

Learned readers suggest two approaches

Perhaps by using the funding foundation of the short courses, which supports places at less than the rate for Commonwealth Supported Places.   The government could argue universities budgeted domestic enrolments on the basis of funded places, so that additional students on top will not need to make a contribution to fixed costs.

Or the government just increases maximum funding for places and leaves it to institutions to allocate them.

One problem with the first is that specifying places per a designated course would require parliamentary approval, which the Opposition could oppose,on general principle.

As for the second, however much more money was provided it would not be enough for HE lobbies and the government would be blamed.

Whatever Mr Tehan has in mind may be revealed on Friday, when he addresses the National Press Club Friday. The subject is,  universities, “crucial role in producing the job-ready graduates that Australia will need to drive its post COVID-19 recovery.”