Can warnings of “unmet demand” be far away?

Dreams of the demand driven system returning ended with Labor’s defeat but Universities Australia is still pushing for student growth funding. CEO Catriona Jackson argues that her members will need more money to make room for a spike in aspiring students starting in a couple of years. There will be 55 000 more 18 years at the end of the next decade than now, she says.

And the government’s proposed funding increases in-line with population growth, depending on performance targets for each university, will not be enough. “Even if universities hit all the performance targets, the funding won’t keep up with inflation and enable universities to meet demand in regions with faster growing populations.”

Even before the performance targets, expected in the Welling’s Review, are announced UA is working out the next argument. It’s been 20-odd years since “unmet demand” was on the agenda – but CMM suspects it will be back.