The Push to Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes

Australia's higher education landscape is at a pivotal moment as the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee examines the Higher Education Support Amendment (Reverse Job-Ready Graduates Fee Hikes and End 50k Arts Degrees) Bill 2025. Introduced by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi on November 25, 2025, this private member's bill seeks to undo the controversial fee structures imposed by the Job-Ready Graduates (JRG) package, which has significantly increased costs for arts and humanities students. The policy shift, aimed originally at steering students toward 'job-ready' fields like STEM, nursing, and teaching, has instead sparked widespread debate over equity, access, and university funding.

With submissions to the inquiry closing on April 10, 2026, and a report due by June 25, 2026, stakeholders from universities, student unions, and arts organizations are urging swift action. The bill proposes reverting maximum student contribution amounts to pre-JRG levels as of January 1, 2026, potentially halving arts degree costs from over $52,000 to around $24,500. This development comes amid ongoing university budget pressures and enrolment shifts that have disproportionately affected disadvantaged students.

Background on the Job-Ready Graduates Package

The Job-Ready Graduates package, enacted through the Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Act 2020, fundamentally altered Australia's Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) funding model. Prior to JRG, student contributions were relatively uniform across disciplines, with the government subsidizing a larger share. The reforms, introduced under the Morrison Liberal government in 2021, aimed to incentivize enrolment in areas of national priority by slashing fees for STEM, clinical psychology, teaching, nursing, and English (down by up to 59%) while hiking fees for arts, humanities, law, commerce, and communications (up to a 113% increase).

This shift was intended to produce more 'job-ready' graduates aligned with workforce needs, such as addressing shortages in healthcare and technology. However, critics argue it distorted student choice, penalized broad liberal arts education, and exacerbated inequalities. By 2026, the highest-band fees have escalated to nearly $17,000 per year for arts students due to indexation, making a three-year Bachelor of Arts exceed $50,000 in total student debt.

Fee Structures: Before and After JRG

To illustrate the changes, consider the maximum annual student contributions for a full-time load (eight units) in 2026 dollars:

These figures highlight how JRG subsidized priority areas at the expense of others, leading to a $1.3 billion extra burden on high-fee band students in 2024 alone compared to pre-reform projections.

Enrolment Shifts and Equity Concerns

While teaching and nursing enrolments rose 6%, science 8%, and engineering 9% post-JRG, high-fee fields suffered. Low socioeconomic status (low-SES) commencements in law dropped 17.7% (vs. +2.3% overall), contributing to a 10% overall decline in low-SES university entry from 2020-2024. Across law and business, low-SES falls reached 22%. Only 1.5% of students switched fields, suggesting fees reinforced existing barriers rather than guided choices.

• Humanities enrolments declined amid program cuts at universities in Tasmania, NSW, ACT, QLD, and SA.
• HECS debt deters 40% of Year 12 students, per Universities Admissions Centre data.
• Arts graduates face compounded challenges with lower starting salaries and lifelong debt.

Independent Senator David Pocock has labeled this a 'segregated higher education system,' where only wealthy students pursue law or arts.

Funding Pressures on Australian Universities

JRG reduced Commonwealth funding by $750-800 million annually, a 6% real decline per CSP since 2017. Universities responded with larger classes, casual staffing, and course closures, undermining quality. In 2024, base funding was $813 million lower despite higher contributions. Universities Australia (UA) warns of ongoing job cuts without reform.Universities Australia Pre-Budget Submission

CUTS in creative arts programs, tracked by National Advocates for Arts Education (NAAE), signal a 'polycrisis' of staffing losses and reduced innovation pathways.

Details of the Higher Education Support Amendment Bill

The bill targets Schedule 1 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003, restoring pre-JRG contribution bands for high-fee units. It would eliminate the punitive highest band, aligning costs closer to second-highest tiers and easing debt for arts students. Sponsored by Faruqi, it has cross-party interest but faces Labor caution amid ATEC establishment.Bill Details on Parliament Site

UA recommends an interim fix: abolish the top band while planning full replacement, providing relief without full overhaul.

Senate Inquiry: Process and Timeline

Referred February 5, 2026, the inquiry accepts public submissions until April 10. No public hearings announced yet, but expect scrutiny of equity, funding, and workforce impacts. Chaired by a government senator, the committee's June report could influence passage before year-end.Inquiry Page

Arts groups like National Association for Visual Arts (NAVA) urge submissions highlighting sector-specific harms, such as visual arts course closures.

Stakeholder Perspectives

• Universities: UA calls for urgent JRG fix to restore equity; vice-chancellors note devastating low-SES impacts.
• Students/Unions: Debt crisis hits hardest; calls for free choice without financial penalties.
• Arts Sector: NAVA warns of skills shortages, polycrisis; opposes National Cultural Policy.
• Politics: Greens/Faruqi lead repeal; Pocock demands scrap; Labor eyes ATEC for long-term reform.

IRU's Paul Harris fears a 'two-track' system; Western Sydney Uni VC George Williams highlights law access barriers.

Case Studies: Arts Programs Under Pressure

At the University of Tasmania, creative arts cuts threatened 13 staff jobs. Similar reductions at UTAS, UNSW, ANU signal national trend. Visual arts enrolments stagnate despite demand for creative skills in media, design. NAAE's 2018-2025 snapshot documents staffing/program losses across states, risking innovation pipelines.

For prospective students, check Rate My Professor for course insights.

Implications and Future Outlook

Reversal could boost access, stabilize uni budgets, align with Universities Accord. Without change, expect more cuts, equity gaps. ATEC may advise on fees, but bill offers immediate fix. Outlook: passage possible post-report if crossbench pressure mounts.

Explore higher ed jobs or Australian university opportunities.

Photo by Brett Wharton on Unsplash

Navigating Careers in Arts and Humanities

Despite challenges, arts grads achieve 89.6% employment. Pathways include policy, media, education. Upskill via lecturer careers. For jobs, visit university jobs or faculty positions.

Actionable advice: Submit to inquiry, advocate via MPs, consider flexible CSP fields.