Higher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) 2024

# Higher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) Bill 2024 ## What it does This bill moves "Society and Culture" courses into a lower funding tier for universities. Currently, these subjects are grouped with more expensive-to-deliver disciplines; the change shifts them to sit alongside cheaper fields like English and Visual Arts. This affects how much government funding universities receive per student enrolled in these courses. ## Why it matters If universities receive less government money per student, they may raise student fees to compensate—meaning humanities and social science students could pay more. Alternatively, universities might offer fewer places in these subjects, reducing access to degrees in areas like sociology, history, and cultural studies. ## Key details - **Who it affects**: Students starting Society and Culture units from 1 January 2025 onwards (those already enrolled may have different arrangements as "grandfathered" students with protected funding rates) - **The shift**: Society and Culture moves from a higher-funded group to a lower-funded group alongside English and Visual Arts courses - **When it starts**: The day after the bill receives Royal Assent from the Governor-General