The University of Melbourne strongly opposes the Australian Government’s proposed international student caps, which it says will wreak havoc on the sector, harm Australia’s reputation with international students, and lead to significant budget cuts that will affect Australian students and result in job losses.
Ahead of his appearance at the National Press Club today, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) Professor Michael Wesley said there were significant problems with the ideas underpinning the proposed caps policy.
“International education is one of Australia’s great success stories, bringing numerous benefits to the nation and enriching our community.”
“These caps are penalising the sector for a temporary, larger-than-expected increase in student numbers due primarily to the pandemic lag effect. Already the number of international students granted visas to come to Australia has decreased dramatically, with student visa grants down 34% in March compared to the same time in 2023.”
The University of Melbourne’s submission to the Draft International Education and Skills Strategic Framework outlines the policy drivers and risks associated with the provisions in the Education for Overseas Students Amendment (Quality and Integrity) Bill 2024, and offers recommendations.
“We are urging the Government to prioritise integrity measures in 2025, and use existing regulatory frameworks, focusing on bad actors within the higher education sector. We also recommend implementation of any caps be deferred until 2026, to allow feasible implementation and an orderly transition to reduce the risks of a shock to the sector and the economy.” Professor Wesley said.
Caps will result in reduced funding for teaching and research, areas which are already underfunded by the government. This loss of revenue and uncertainty will lead to disruptive job losses and course cancellations as early as next year. Caps could also seriously harm Australia’s GDP, as spending by international students accounted for more than half of Australia’s economic growth in 2023, causing ripple effects across the economy.
Professor Wesley said “We are alarmed this is before Parliament and could be legislated without universities having been consulted.”