More protection for domestic students in higher education

Australian higher education students who pay for their studies upfront will be protected from losing their money if their private provider stops teaching or shuts down. 

Minister for Education Dan Tehan said the Morrison Government was expanding coverage of tuition protection in the Up-front Payments Tuition Protection Bill introduced into Parliament today. 

“This legislation will ensure domestic students enrolled at private higher education providers receive the same level of protection as international students and domestic students who access a HELP or VSL loan to support their studies,” Mr Tehan said. 

“This protection will guarantee students can continue their studies and gain a qualification with another provider or receive a refund if they are unable to continue their education. 

“It will give peace of mind to students who pay upfront to get an education at a private provider, which will encourage more students to pursue qualifications that will help them be ready for the jobs of the future. 

“It also means private higher education providers will no longer have to pay for commercial tuition protection insurance for students who pay upfront. 

“In November 2019, I made a public commitment to explore options to expand the Government’s Tuition Protection Service and we are delivering on that promise.” 

The new arrangements will commence from 1 January 2021.