Needs-Based Funding Implementation Consultation - ADCET Submission

The Government has released a consultation paper on needs-based funding to support students in completing their degrees. This new system aims to provide additional support to disadvantaged students, those with disability, and Indigenous Australians. The proposal follows the Universities Accord recommendations and aims to replace the outdated, complex grant-based funding programs.

In response to the consultation paper, ADCET has put forward a submission which provides a range of observations about the proposed model and offers suggestions for enhancement and improvement to the Needs-Based Funding (NBF) model that will ensure that students with disability are enabled to reach their potential at university. These suggestions range from short-term implementable updates to the proposed NBF model, to elements of the longer-term cultural and systemic change that will be required to fully realise the government’s vision of educational equity in universities.

(August 2024)