AUSTRALIA

Cuts ‘may push more universities into deficit’

The universities peak sector body has warned that 10 universities may tip into deficit if the government’s AU$2.8 billion (US$2.2 billion) higher education savings package goes through, writes Bernard Lane for The Australian.

“There are five or six universities in the country that are teetering on deficit; we would contend that if the cuts on the table go through, we’ll get to nine or 10 universities [in deficit],” said Catriona Jackson, deputy chief executive of Universities Australia.

She was giving evidence at a Senate inquiry into legislation to abolish the AU$3.8 billion Education Investment Fund and divert its funds to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
Full report on The Australian site