Professional development

Changes to legislation will better protect ECEC students if their institution closes

Freya Lucas

Nov 17, 2020

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More Australian students, including those studying early childhood education and care (ECEC) will be compensated if their higher education provider stops teaching, following new legislation passed by the senate late last week.

As part of the changes, the Tuition Protection Service will be expanded to cover domestic higher education students who pay for their studies up-front, something Federal Education Minister, Dan Tehan, said would provide certainty for students. “We want more Australians to get the opportunity to benefit from a higher education,” Mr Tehan said, noting that this year’s Budget provided $500 million for 12,000 extra university places and 50,000 short course places, “so from next year, when our Job-ready Graduates reforms take effect, there will be up to 30,000 more Australians accessing higher education.”

“Expanding the Tuition Protection Service to include domestic students in the higher education sector who pay their tuition fees up-front and who do not or are not able to access a HELP loan will provide them with certainty and confidence to pursue their education” he added.

Private higher education providers will no longer have to source their own tuition protection policies for students who pay up-front, something Mr Tehan said “can often be costly and burdensome.”

The arrangements will commence from 1 January 2021.

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