How did Australian universities go from free education to $50,000 arts degrees in 50 years? Thanks to the Job Ready Graduates scheme, an arts degree today will cost over $50,000. How have five decades of government policy taken us from free education to this?

'in the 1980s the federal government contributed around 80% of the sector’s funding, now it is closer to 40%, while the number of students has more than tripled to over 1.6 million'. #AUS #fundHigherEdFairly #education theconversation.com/how-did-aust...

Glad to see this kind of action being taken: "Almost 30 staff at the Australian National University’s humanities school have stopped work after an internal report warned of psychological hazards in their workplace related to the institution’s restructure." #fundHigherEdFairly

Labor was against JRG at the time, but have done NOTHING to undo that terrible law. >3 yrs as govt, & NOTHING has been done to #fundHigherEdFairly. It's not just about VC's high salaries, it's about govt NOT FUNDING #higherEd!! @jasonclaremp.bsky.social

The next steps for ANU now that forced redundancies have been ruled out 'I'm comfortable with who I am and how I do the job.'

Ha. ANU VC says she's happy with how she's done her job, & that there will be no more forced redundancies- that is, OTHER THAN THE ONES ALREADY ON THE TABLE. So, yes, there will be more forced redundancies. #fundHigherEdFairly www.canberratimes.com.au/story/904605...

Uni staff told to 'wash delicates' for stress management as 146 courses suspended The University of Technology Sydney is suspending more than 100 courses as it prepares for a controversial redundancy program to save $100 million.

There is sthg so deeply wrong with #university management. This is fucked up. The govt needs to fucking #fundHigherEdFairly!! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...

✊✊✊ #fundHigherEdFairly

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

I am so pleased that getting rid of JGR is getting traction from a variety of groups, putting pressure on the govt to reverse that terrible #ausLaw. Thank you to these high-profile Aussies for doing this! #higherEd #fundHigherEdFairly www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

University to cut 137 academics due to $35m drop in revenue from international students The University of Wollongong has approached staff across 25 disciplines for redundancies in a restructure the union fears could abolish its degrees in history, mathematics, geography and languages.

UOW seeking to cut around 90 jobs due to loss in income from int'l students. It may result in the abolition of degrees in history, mathematics, geography & languages!!! If only #AUSPol would #fundHigherEdFairly! www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

'Jobs ready graduates' law now screwing #AUS #universities over even more than expected, due to high inflation, which was not planned for in the JRG law. #FundHigherEdFairly...

As predicted, #AUS #university earnings dropped significantly in 2022 (thx Job Ready Graduates law!!). 'Federal government support for UWA declined by A$51 million.' That $51mil would have saved the 100s of jobs lost. #fundHigherEdFairly #ourUWA...

#AUS #universities being advised on tactics to avoid 'multi-employer' bargaining (i.e. to weaken staff/union ability to bargain for good employment conditions & allow unis to push through lower quality staff conditions). #fundHigherEdfairly ...

⁦FYI #academics, @JasonClareMP⁩ is now Minister for #Education, not ⁦@tanya_plibersek⁩. I hope he is a strong advocate for #fundHigherEdFairly & undoing the fee hikes-funding cuts from the ‘Jobs Ready graduates’ law. ...

Just to make @AustralianLabor #higherEd policy clear: on #qanda @AlboMP refused to commit to reversing the fee hike on #humanities degrees. Claimed it was a budget issue he couldn’t answer. Very very disappointing.#ausvotes #auspol #fundHigherEdFairly

Our LNP MP/candidate, Celia Hammond, used to be VC of NDUni, & has #UWA in her electorate but does not stand up for #fundHigherEdFairly. Her voice has been absent as UWA has had 100s of staff lose their jobs. #auspol #education

Academics sound alarm after NSW universities scrap thousa... The latest federal government data shows there were 3237 ...

Over 3000 jobs lost at NSW #universities alone. #fundHigherEdFairly www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/academics-s...

About bloody time. The countdown is on. Come on, #AusVotes2022, let’s get rid of govt that has rorted repeatedly, won’t tax the wealthy, won’t #fundHigherEdFairly, won’t fund aged care, won’t help the arts/music industry out of pandemic struggles, & denies climate change.

It may surprise nobody in #academic to know that the budget resulted in even MORE CUTS for #universities, amounting to $3 billion lost from 2017-18 to 2025-26. #fundHigherEdFairly...

WA Today reporting on #UWA document dump leak, revealing plans & communications around the job cuts in Molecular Sciences. #ourUWA #fundHigherEdFairly ...

Moreton job cuts coming for ⁦@Deakin⁩: up to 220 more staff to go. This is awful. I hope that karma comes back to get the members of this federal govt who are letting this happen. #fundHigherEdFairly ...

"#university revenue fell by A$2.2 billion, down 6% from 2019. Operating surpluses across the sector fell by A$1.6 billion. main cause of the falls: reduced international student revenue & income from investments, such as dividends." #fundHigherEdFairly ...

#occupyWinthrop is happening! The first time occupying the #university senate since 2004! #ourUWA #saveUWA #saveSocialSciences #fundHigherEdFairly

And next on the #UWA chopping block: finance, office of #research (because who needs research in a #Go8 #university anyway?!), & the school of molecular sciences (not like that's important, right?!). 😡☹️#fundHigherEdFairly #saveSocialSciences #ourUWA

‘#UWA lost 556 employees, including casuals, in 2020.’ Well that went under the radar. So much for salary cuts saving jobs!! And 400 more to go!! #fundhigheredfairly...

Massive turnout for the #savesocialsciences #ourUWA protest against proposed job and course cuts! #fundHigherEdFairly

The media is doing a fantastic job reporting on the proposed #UWA jobs & courses cuts, & how it will affect staff & students. Protest today, 2pm, Winthrop Hall! #savesocialsciences #ourUWA #fundhigherEdFairly...

@NadiaMits taking #UWA VC Chakma to task on @abcperth. He can't answer ANY of her Qs about figures, like enrolments, how much these cuts will save, etc. Pushing through job cuts without ANY evidence it's a valid decision. Absolutely appalling. @NTEUfightback #fundHigherEdFairly

Your daily reminder to #savesocialsciences #ourUWA, if you haven't already signed the petition, please support the staff who are at risk of losing their jobs & register your protest against the cutting of #anthropology & #sociology. #fundHigherEdFairly ...

#UWA #NTEU statement to members today. Job cuts are coming, fast, heavy, & w/little notice. @NTEUfightback #fundHigherEdFairly

Murdoch councillor quits amid spending questions Eminent judge’s departure follows Australian university’s...

#Universities need more people of integrity like Carmel McClure on their councils/boards, who stand up against staff cuts. #fundHigherEdFairly www.timeshighereducation.com/news/murdoch-councillor-...

La Trobe Uni to cut 300 more jobs, laments ‘unsympathetic... Staff at La Trobe University have been told it will shed ...

#LaTrobe championed the EAV, cutting salaries to 'save jobs', & is now cutting a further 300 ongoing jobs. #fundHigherEdFairly www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/la-tro...