This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Education & skills
Students taking Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. subjects would face a maximum student contributionThe most a university can charge a student for a unit. of $4,124 per unit, down from $15,142.
The bill's sponsor, Dai Le, said the Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. had pushed arts and humanities fees to more than three times their previous level without persuading many students to change fields. She argued that students were instead taking on heavier debts, with the greatest impact falling on people from lower-income backgrounds, Indigenous students, women and people from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The bill would cut the maximum charge for Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. subjects from $15,142 to $4,124 per student per unit.
The 2020 Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. increased student charges for arts and humanities subjects to steer students towards STEM, but students continued choosing those fields and took on heavier debts, with greater effects on disadvantaged groups. After the Universities Accord interim report in July 2023 called the fee structure damaging, Dai Le MP introduced a private bill on 25 August 2025 to cut Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. charges from $15,142 to $4,124, but it was removed from the Notice Paper on 24 March 2026 without passing.
The supplied debate contains no criticism of the bill itself. Dai Le (Independent) argued that the existing Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. had made arts and humanities study much more expensive without changing students' choices as intended. Andrew Gee (Independent) similarly said only a very small percentage of students had changed their course choices and described the resulting student-loan system as unfair.
Dai Le MP introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from some crossbench members.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
211 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Students taking Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. subjects would face a maximum student contributionThe most a university can charge a student for a unit. of $4,124 per unit, down from $15,142.
The lower fee category would cover both new students and students whose existing fee arrangements are protected under earlier rules.
The change would apply to subjects with a census dateThe date used to decide whether the new fee category applies. on or after 1 January 2025.
The legislation would commence the day after receiving Royal AssentThe event after which this legislation would commence..
Higher Education Support Act 2003 1 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 1, column headed “For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster:”) Omit “, Society and Culture”. 2 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 1, column headed “The amount in respect of a grandfathered student is:”, paragraph (b)) Omit “or Society and Culture”. 3 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 2, column headed “For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster:”) After “Visual and Performing Arts,”, insert “Society and Culture,”. 4 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 2, column headed “The amountHigher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) introduced text
1 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 1, column headed “For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster:”) Omit “, Society and Culture”. 2 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 1, column headed “The amount in respect of a grandfathered student is:”, paragraph (b)) Omit “or Society and Culture”. 3 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 2, column headed “For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster:”) After “Visual and Performing Arts,”, insert “Society and Culture,”. 4 Section 93‑10 (cell at table item 2, column headed “The amount in respect of a non‑grandfatheredHigher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) introduced text
6 Application provision The amendments of section 93‑10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 made by this Schedule apply in relation to units of study with a census date on or after 1 January 2025.Higher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) introduced text
1 Short title This Act is the Higher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) Act 2025. 2 Commencement (1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms. Commencement information Commencement Date/Details 1. The whole of this Act The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent. Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any laterHigher Education Support Amendment (Fair Study and Opportunity) introduced text
Context
The 2020 Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. increased student charges for arts and humanities subjects to steer students towards STEM, but students continued choosing those fields and took on heavier debts, with greater effects on disadvantaged groups. After the Universities Accord interim report in July 2023 called the fee structure damaging, Dai Le MP introduced a private bill on 25 August 2025 to cut Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. charges from $15,142 to $4,124, but it was removed from the Notice Paper on 24 March 2026 without passing.
Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. changes higher education fees
The scheme introduced higher student contributions for some arts and humanities subjects to encourage enrolment in STEM fields.
Higher Education Support Amendment (Job-Ready Graduates and Supporting Regional and Remote Students) Act 2020 ↗Universities Accord interim report calls fee structure damaging
The report urged an urgent redesign of the fee structure after identifying damaging effects from the existing settings.
Hansard ↗Dai Le MP introduces the Fair Study and Opportunity Bill
The private member's bill proposed moving Society and CultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. units into the lower fee category, reducing the maximum charge from $15,142 to $4,124 per student per unit.
Hansard ↗Bill removed from the Notice Paper
The bill was removed under standing order 42, and the supplied record contains no later passage or Royal AssentThe event after which this legislation would commence..
Parliamentary timeline ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The supplied debate contains no criticism of the bill itself. Dai Le (Independent) argued that the existing Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices. had made arts and humanities study much more expensive without changing students' choices as intended. Andrew Gee (Independent) similarly said only a very small percentage of students had changed their course choices and described the resulting student-loan system as unfair.
Both speakers in the supplied debate supported the bill. The evidence pack therefore does not provide an opposing argument or an estimate of the bill's wider budget effects beyond the explanatory memorandum's statement that it would have no financial impact.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Dai Le supports the bill because it would address unfair fee increases imposed on arts and humanities students under the Job-ready Graduates schemeThe existing policy that set different fees to influence subject choices., which she argues disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities and undervalue essential fields of study.
Read in Hansard ↗Andrew Gee supports the bill because it would make humanities, arts, society and cultureThe group of university subjects moved into the lower-fee category. courses more affordable and address inequities created by the Job-ready Graduates Package.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“I commend this bill to the House and, with that, I gladly hand over my remaining time to the member for Calare.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Now, I certainly don't begrudge students studying STEM courses receiving lower course fees, and neither does the member for Fowler. I do, however, like the member for Fowler, question the effectiveness of the Job-ready Graduates Package. The evidence is that only a very small percentage of students changed their course selections as a result of the scheme being introduced, and it has also resulted in an inequitable and unfair student loans scheme. The Job-ready Graduates Package is a failure. It's a dud, and it needs to be overhauled. This bill is a step in the right direction towards greater fairness for uni students, and I'm very pleased to support it.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
