This bill is currently before Parliament.
Education & skills
From 2027, the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.) must give each public university a yearly allocation of fully funded domestic student places.
The government said Australia needs at least 80% of working-age people to hold a TAFE or university qualification by 2050, but the existing system lacks enough funding and planning to deliver the required growth. The explanatory memorandum says the package adds $2.5 billion over 11 years from 2024–25 and is expected to support 200,000 extra students starting university over the next decade. Education Minister Jason Clare said people from poorer families and regional areas were about half as likely as other Australians in their 30s to hold a university degree, and were up to twice as likely to leave after first year.
Australia’s existing higher-education funding system lacked the funding and planning needed to reach an 80 per cent tertiary-attainment target by 2050, while the Universities Accord identified weaker access and completion for students from poorer and regional backgrounds. After the Accord’s final report in February 2024, the government committed $2.5 billion over 11 years and introduced this bill to create managed growth, demand-driven access and needs-based support, with the new funding system proposed to start in 2027.
Dr M Ryan argued that students would pay more than $54,000 for standard bachelor's degrees and that the bill left the Job-ready Graduates fee system untouched. Senator David Pocock called for that system to be reviewed and argued that disadvantage should be measured using individual and household circumstances as well as a person's area, with consideration also given to students with disability, first-in-family students and other under-represented groups. Senator Faruqi, for the Australian Greens, argued that the bill did too little about student debt, $54,000 arts degrees, low Austudy and Youth Allowance payments, and unpaid mandatory placements. Senator Whitten, for One Nation, argued that support should go directly to students according to financial need and that giving ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places. control over university places would centralise too much power.
Hon Jason Clare MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from Labor, some crossbench members.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
Recorded vote so far
4 recorded amendment or procedural votes were found, but no counted vote on the bill itself was recorded.
Days since introduction
103 days
Updated 06 Oct 2026.
Meaning
From 2027, the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.) must give each public university a yearly allocation of fully funded domestic student places. The minister sets the total national pool through a legislative instrument and may increase it on the minister's own initiative or at ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.'s request. Each university's allocation must equal its protected core places plus any extra growth places, and the national pool cannot be smaller than the previous pool. When allocating growth, ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places. must consider ministerial priorities, student demand, university performance and goals, whether existing students can continue to be supported, and the health of the university sector.
ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.'s managed-growth allocations do not cover demand-driven or medical courses; the minister may allocate those places separately. Demand-driven courses include eligible bachelor and honours courses taken by First Nations students, certain medical courses taken by First Nations students, and any further courses the minister specifies. If the minister does not set a demand-driven allocation, universities are funded for every supported place they provide in those courses.
Public universities will no longer need a funding agreement to qualify for these grants. Other approved higher education providers can receive grants only for priority types of courses named in government guidelines, replacing the existing national-priorities approach.
Universities can enrol slightly above their allocation without losing funding. The buffer is the smaller of 105% of their allocation or their allocation plus a number set in government guidelines. Beyond the permitted limit, their grant can be reduced by an amount based on student contributions collected for the excess places. Special limits help universities that enter the system already over-enrolled, while under-enrolled universities can access a temporary funding floor until the end of 2031.
Universities will receive extra, student-linked funding from 2027 for eligible First Nations students, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and any further groups named in government guidelines. The 2026 base amount is $1,535 per eligible equity student and will be indexed from 2027. New students attract a full per-student amount regardless of study load; funding for continuing students is adjusted for how much they study.
Universities will also receive extra funding for eligible students studying through regional or remote campuses, to support those students and help meet higher campus costs. The 2026 base regional amount is $1,398 and will be indexed from 2027. The final amount can vary with factors such as whether study is online or face to face.
Universities must spend at least their equity funding on helping eligible students enter, take part in and complete higher education, or on helping specified prospective students gain access. Government guidelines can exempt specified equity activities from this rule. Regional funding must be spent on eligible students or priority regional and remote campuses, subject to any exclusions in those guidelines. Both amounts must be spent by the deadline set in the guidelines.
If the government chooses to manage new international university enrolments, the minister may set an overall number and policy considerations, and ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places. must allocate places among registered higher education providers. ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places. must consult affected public and other listed universities and publish allocations within 28 days. Before varying an allocation, it generally must give at least 10 business days' notice and consider the provider's response. Notice is not required if the provider waives it, is no longer registered, receives an increase, or the change follows a ministerial pool variation or direction. The bill does not itself impose an automatic international-student cap.
Universities cannot ask the Administrative Review Tribunal to reconsider the merits of ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.'s domestic or international place allocations, including changes to international allocations. The bill also allows education agencies, the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the university regulator, TEQSA, to share relevant information with ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places.. Privacy protections apply, and identifiable information about a National Student Ombudsman complainant can be shared only with that person's consent.
30‑5 Determination of places available for allocation (1) The Minister must, by legislative instrument, make a determination (a total allocation pool determination) specifying the total number of Commonwealth supported places that may be allocated for *higher education courses for a specified year to the following: (a) *Table A providers; (b) higher education providers referred to in subparagraph 30‑1(1)(a)(ii). When determination must be made (2) The Minister must make a *total allocation pool determination: (a) for 2027—before 1 January 2027; and (b) for 2028 or a later year—before 1Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) introduced text
Subdivision 30-C—Allocation of places for demand driven and medical courses New section 30-55 provides for the allocation of Commonwealth supported places by the Minister to higher education providers for demand driven higher education courses. New subsection 30-55(1) provides that the Minister may, in writing, allocate a specified whole number of Commonwealth supported places for demand driven higher education courses for a specified year to a Table A provider. This subsection reflects that the Minister does not need to allocate a specified number of Commonwealth supported places for demandUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
New subsection 30-1(1) provides that a grant is payable, as a benefit to students, to a higher education provider in respect of 2027 or a later year, if the provider is either a Table A provider or a higher education provider specified in the Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines as a higher education provider that can be paid grants under Part 2-2, and either the ATEC has made an allocation under subsection 30‑15(1) to the provider for the year or the Minister has made an allocation under subsections 30-55(1) or 30-65(1) to the provider for that year. New subsection 30-1(2) provides that a grUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
Item 16: At the end of Subdivision 33-C This item adds new sections 33-38, 33-39 and 33-39A at the end of Subdivision 33-C. New section 33-38 provides for adjustments to reduce a higher education provider’s total basic grant amount for a year in certain circumstances. New subsection 33-38(1) provides that a higher education provider’s total basic grant amount for a year (the ‘reference year’) is reduced by an adjustment in respect of the reference year if: the number of Commonwealth supported places provided by the provider in higher education courses during the reference year exceeds theUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
Subdivision B—Basic rules New section 39-10 provides that a grant under new Part 2-2B is payable to a higher education provider, in respect of the year 2027 or a later year, if a grant under Part 2-2 is payable to the provider in respect of that year. Along with the CGS, it is intended that NBF forms part of core Commonwealth funding for teaching and learning in higher education. Where the CGS contributes to the cost of delivering higher education to a student, NBF is intended to provide additional contributions, above and beyond the CGS, recognising that some students will need additional sUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
Subdivision D—Regional contribution amount New section 39-45 provides that the total regional component for a higher education provider for a year is the sum of the ‘regional contribution amounts’ (worked out under new sections 39-55 and 39-60) for all of the eligible regional students of the provider for the year (defined in new section 39-50). New section 39-50 provides definitions for key terms used to work out the regional contribution amount for all the eligible regional students that are enrolled with the provider in ‘relevant eligible regional units’ for the provider for the year. NeUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
39‑70 Providers to use amounts for certain purposes (1) This section applies in relation to a higher education provider that receives a grant under this Part in respect of a year. Total equity component (2) The higher education provider must spend an amount of the grant that is equal to or greater than the *total equity component for the provider for the year on activities that are primarily for the purposes of supporting *eligible equity students to access, participate in and complete *eligible equity courses. (3) Subsection (2) does not apply in relation to an activity of a kind specifieUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) introduced text
The Minister may make a determination (called an international allocation pool determination) specifying the number of overseas students that may commence a course of education with ESOS registered higher education providers during a period. The ATEC must then allocate places for those students to one or more ESOS registered higher education providers for the period. The number of places allocated to a provider is the number of overseas students that may commence a course of education with the provider during the period. The ATEC cannot allocate places for more students than the number specifUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) introduced text
Allocations made under subsection 30-15(1) are also not subject to merits review. Having regard to the Administrative Review Council's guide, What decisions should be subject to merit review, the exclusion of merits review for such decisions is appropriate because allocation decisions are decisions relating to the allocation of a finite resource, from which all potential claims for a share of the resource cannot be met (paragraphs 4.11 to 4.19 of the guide). This is because the ATEC can only allocate places to higher education providers within the total allocation pool determined by the MinistUniversities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum
Context
Australia’s existing higher-education funding system lacked the funding and planning needed to reach an 80 per cent tertiary-attainment target by 2050, while the Universities Accord identified weaker access and completion for students from poorer and regional backgrounds. After the Accord’s final report in February 2024, the government committed $2.5 billion over 11 years and introduced this bill to create managed growth, demand-driven access and needs-based support, with the new funding system proposed to start in 2027.
Universities Accord final report identifies funding and access gaps
The final report recommended major reforms, including an 80 per cent tertiary-attainment target and measures to expand access and support student success.
ABC News ↗Government commits $2.5 billion to act on the Accord
The Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook committed an additional $2.5 billion over 11 years for more university places, demand-driven access and better support for under-represented students.
Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum ↗Hon Jason Clare MP introduces the bill
Hon Jason Clare MP introduced the bill in the House of Representatives, beginning parliamentary consideration of the proposed higher-education funding overhaul.
Hansard ↗House passes the bill
The House agreed to the third reading after considering government amendments, completing the bill’s passage through the originating chamber.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Senate begins second-reading debate
The bill reached second-reading debate in the Senate, continuing its consideration beyond the House of Representatives.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Proposed managed-growth and needs-based fundingExtra university funding linked to student disadvantage or regional study. begins
The proposed system would allocate public-university places and provide indexed extra funding for eligible equity and regional students from 2027.
Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) explanatory memorandum ↗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
Considered by scrutiny committee (01/07/2026): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 8 of 2026
Scrutiny Digest 8 of 2026
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Referred to Committee (02/07/2026): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (03/09/2026)
Report tabled 03 Sep 2026
APH bill page notesConsidered by scrutiny committee (12/08/2026): Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report 9 of 2026
Report 9 of 2026
APH bill page notesThe bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
Second reading agreed to
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
Consideration in detail debate
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Third reading agreed to
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.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
Dr M Ryan argued that students would pay more than $54,000 for standard bachelor's degrees and that the bill left the Job-ready Graduates fee system untouched. Senator David Pocock called for that system to be reviewed and argued that disadvantage should be measured using individual and household circumstances as well as a person's area, with consideration also given to students with disability, first-in-family students and other under-represented groups. Senator Faruqi, for the Australian Greens, argued that the bill did too little about student debt, $54,000 arts degrees, low Austudy and Youth Allowance payments, and unpaid mandatory placements. Senator Whitten, for One Nation, argued that support should go directly to students according to financial need and that giving ATECThe Australian Tertiary Education Commission, which allocates funded places. control over university places would centralise too much power.
The government said the bill would expand access and provide indexed, student-linked support for First Nations students, students from poorer backgrounds and students at regional campuses. Its final amendments also prevented the domestic place pool from shrinking and widened the permitted uses of equity funding.
Votes
Recorded amendment and procedural votes grouped by chamber. Expand a vote to see the party breakdown.
House
Passed 90 to 36. Support came from Labor, Greens, Community Strong Australia, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Liberal, Nationals, and One Nation.
Senate
Defeated 13 to 23. Support came from Greens, Australia's Voice, Jacqui Lambie Network, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor and Liberal.
Defeated 13 to 23. Support came from Greens, Australia's Voice, Jacqui Lambie Network, and minor parties and independents. Opposition came from Labor and Liberal.
Defeated 21 to 32. Support came from Liberal, One Nation, Nationals, and Liberal Party. Opposition came from Labor, Greens, Australia's Voice, Jacqui Lambie Network, and minor parties and independents.
These are amendment votes, not the final passage vote on the bill itself.
The parliamentary record also shows 17 Government amendments agreed without a counted division.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Clare urges passage of the bill because it would expand fully funded university places for students from disadvantaged and regional backgrounds and give the Australian Tertiary Education Commission tools to manage growth in the university system.
Read in Hansard ↗Ryan supports giving the bill a second reading because it expands needs-based fundingExtra university funding linked to student disadvantage or regional study. and university access, but argues it needs safeguards against enrolment cuts and urgent action to reform the punitive Job-ready Graduates funding arrangements.
Read in Hansard ↗Helen Haines will support the bill because it aims to expand access to higher education, but urges parliament to wait for the Senate inquiry and address the loss of equity funding for regional students, overly broad ministerial powers and risks from international student caps.
Read in Hansard ↗Leeser says the coalition has not finalised its position and will decide after a Senate committee inquiry.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
29 speakers · 32 contributions · 29 support
“I'm pleased to speak in support of the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I am surprised to see how few speakers on this bill are from Liberal and National Party electorates in regional and rural areas. This is the sort of bill that would help people in the communities that they represent, like regional Queensland, who struggle to get to university and who really need their regional universities funded better, and would help make sure that those kids get every opportunity in life. I'm very surprised that there are so few speakers from the conservative side of politics speaking on this legislation.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Legislation of this nature asks us to think well beyond the present. It asks us to consider the Australia we hope to build over the coming decades. Will it be an Australia where opportunity remains centred among the few fortunate, or will it be an Australia where talent is recognised wherever it is found? The Albanese Labor government has made its choice. We believe every Australian deserves the opportunity to fulfil their potential. We believe higher education should be accessible, affordable and focused on student success. We believe our universities should be properly funded to meet the challenges of a changing world. Most importantly, we believe investing in people is the smartest investment any nation can make. Education has long been one of the foundations of Australia's success. It has strengthened our democracy, driven economic growth and created opportunities that have transformed countless lives. For all those reasons, I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“But behind those numbers are people: a kid from Logan, a young woman from regional Queensland, a First Nations student who wants to become a teacher, a mature-age worker who wants to start over again or a migrant who's intent on making things better for their family. These are reasons that matter, and this is why Australia cannot afford to waste talent. Your postcode should not determine your potential, your parents' income should not determine your ambition and your background should never determine whether the doors of education are open to you. The great promise of education is that it allows people to build lives bigger than the circumstances into which they were born, and our job is to make sure that promise belongs to everyone. That's what opening the doors of opportunity means, and that's what these reforms are about. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This is not the last bill our government will seek to deliver on education. There is a great deal more work to do to make sure that our country's system is as fair as it should be, from the earliest years all the way through. But it is a next step, and it is a big one. Nobody has ever left university because they stopped being clever. They leave because we let them. This bill is us making it easier for them to stay. This bill is our government opening another door of opportunity for working families in Maribyrnong and right across the country. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“There is, of course, more to be done when it comes to making our higher education system better, fairer and more accessible. This legislation is a very important step. It will help to open the doors of opportunity, as the name suggests. It's opening those doors wider. That's what the Labor government is committed to doing for every student in my electorate and everywhere throughout our nation. On that, I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise today in support of the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. This bill is the next step in the Albanese Labor government's ambition for an educated Australia. We're putting in place the necessary reforms to set our tertiary education system up to deliver on Australia's future skills needs. These reforms are practical, they're funded and they are long overdue.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“For me, my path went from Kalgoorlie to Curtin to Canberra, and I now represent the electorate of Swan, where I live, where I studied and where I met my husband on campus. What I would say is that there is more work to do, but a substantial next step is the chance for a student like Gabby to stay and finish her studies. It's a chance for a student like I once was to actually start university. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This government has made its choice, with 230,000 more students at university, needs based funding for those who need it most, a managed system built for the long term and a funding model that rewards universities for doing the hard work of genuine inclusion. Labor is the party that has opened the doors of Australian opportunity in our country and in education. This bill opens them wider. It opens them wider for students from regional areas and from disadvantaged backgrounds, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and for people like my mum, who will be the first in their family to go to university. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Education is a pathway to opportunity, and the Albanese Labor government knows that opportunity should not be restricted by where you live or how much your parents earn. What should matter is your ability, your hard work and your determination. That is the principle that this bill is protecting, opening the doors of opportunity just a little bit wider so more young Aussies can get the education and build the future they deserve. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Higher education changes lives. When I reflect on my time walking through the grounds of that campus of the University of Wollongong as a student, it's clear that it changed mine. And when I visit the vibrant suburban study hub in Macquarie Fields, I know that students in my electorate and across southern and south-western Sydney will be able to access the same opportunities that I had as a student. The doors of opportunity are there, and good access to higher education is the key to unlock them. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I am proud to speak in support of the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026 because it continues the Albanese Labor government's reforms to help build a better and fairer education system for our country. The bill's title alludes to a statement made by the Prime Minister four years ago after Labor won government. The Prime Minister said:”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill does not solve every problem in higher education—no single bill does, and anyone who claims otherwise either has not read enough legislation or has read far too much of their own press release—but it does make real structural change. It moves us towards a system where growth is planned, funding follows need and opportunity is not rationed by geography. I support this bill because it reflects a principle Labor should always defend—talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. Government has a responsibility to narrow that gap. The child growing up in Dungog, Merriwa, Auburn, Woy Woy, Joondalup or anywhere else in Australia should be able to see a path forward. They should be able to pursue a trade, a diploma, a degree or a change in career without the system quietly telling them that ambition is reserved for someone else.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Labor has always believed that education is one of the greatest investments any government can make. Our track record is clear, and we are not resting on our laurels. We know that every generation benefits because previous generations invest in education, so our responsibility is to leave the next generation with more opportunities that we inherited. This bill backs aspiration. It prepares Australia for the future, no matter what that future may be. I am disappointed, as ever, that those opposite lack that ambition for Australians and lack that ambition for students now and into the future, and that they are not backing more opportunities but instead standing in the way of this progress. Wherever you grow up and whatever your circumstances are, if you have the talent and the determination to succeed, Australia should back you. That is what this government is doing with this bill. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill speaks directly to the word that's been thrown around this place so often of late. It speaks to ambition. The reforms in this bill are aimed squarely at people from disadvantaged backgrounds, people whose lives are often shaped by challenges that many of us will simply never face. For many of them, ambition is not centred solely on personal achievement but encompasses uplifting their families and their communities. These people are not lacking in talent, nor are they lacking in motivation. Instead, they are navigating systems that make their pathways to university harder at every step. That is where this bill comes in, because it reflects core Labor values that every person deserves a fair go regardless of their background, their personal circumstances or their bank balance.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Let's look at this bill and see what it actually does. The main thing this bill does is introduce a new funding system. This is demand driven, needs based funding to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to get into university and stay at university and succeed once they are there. I think Minister Clare described it best when he called it Gonski but for universities. That means when a university enrols more students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and regional students it will receive more funding to support them—simple as that. This matters.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill implements two more important changes recommended by the accord.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This legislation before the House will help make our higher education sector fairer. It will help build a sector where growth is planned, giving providers the certainty to plan for the future; where funding responds to the needs of students, lowering the barriers that prevent educational attainment and success; and where the opportunity to access the transformational power of education is not rationed for some while being plentiful for others but is available to all Australians, including in my electorate of Banks and in regional remote areas across our great country.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill will see additional funding to the tune of $3.6 billion invested into the tertiary sector over the next decade to increase the number of students at university and to meet Australia's future skills needs. It does this through a new managed growth funding system and demand driven needs based funding to support students from underrepresented backgrounds to access and succeed at university. The estimated impact of these changes is that there will be an extra 230,000 domestic students commencing study over the next decade, getting those crucial critical thinking skills, developing the capacity to examine different perspectives and to reach an informed and evidence based view. This can only be a good thing for our democracy and our communities.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I'm pleased to see that the minister is sticking to that view and has provided this legislation, which I genuinely believe goes a long way to doing that. Sure, it may be that we will need to closely watch what happens in the year or two ahead, and I'm sure the minister is fully aware of that and will do so. But I believe the legislation achieves an objective that was started by the Whitlam government over half a century ago, and that is to ensure that everybody who wants to get a university degree can do so. I commend this legislation to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is about ensuring that talent is never held back by disadvantage. It's about a young person's future being determined by their ability and hard work, not their postcode or family circumstances. This is another important step towards a fairer higher education system, because talent has never been a problem in our country, but opportunity has. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I would like to support the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026 and to speak about why this reform matters so much to communities like mine in Pearce. At its core, this bill is about fairness, but, more than that, it is about whether we genuinely believe that every young Australian should have the same chance to succeed regardless of where they grow up or what their family circumstances are.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is an investment in students, it's an investment in our universities, it's an investment in regional Australia and ultimately it's an investment in Australia's future. Talent is everywhere. Our job is to make sure opportunity is, too. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise today to speak in strong support of the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. The title of this bill is not just a piece of legislative phrasing. It is a profound statement of intent. It is a promise to the young people in our outer suburbs, to the families in our regional towns and to every single Australian who has ever looked at a university campus or a TAFE facility and wondered, 'Is that a place for me?' For too long, for too many Australians, the answer to that question has been determined not by their talent, not by their drive and not by their work ethic, but by their postcode, by how much their parents earn and by how far they live from a capital city. With this bill, the Albanese Labor government is drawing a line in the sand. We are opening those doors wide. We are reshaping the landscape of Australian higher education—not just for the next parliamentary term or for the next decade, but for the decade after that.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“That's what this bill does. It provides the regions with the workforce moving forwards that will allow us to thrive. We are the beating heart of Australia. We generate the food. We generate the energy. We generate the heart. The more workers that we have, the more education that we have, the better off Australia will be because of this. This bill opens so many doors. Your education and your health are everything. This is such a big part of this, and I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Joanne Ryan on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Ryan supports the bill, saying it will widen access to higher education for Australians with the talent and ambition to pursue it while helping meet the country's future economic needs.
“The name of this bill, the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026, says it all. It speaks to this Labor government's intent and it speaks to this Labor government's motivation. It says everything about what we stand for. We stand for opening doors of opportunity. We stand against baking in disadvantage. I think this is a fitting title. At its core, this legislation is about ensuring that opportunity is given to all those across the country who have the capacity, the talent and the ambition to reach for it.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Ryan supports the bill because it will expand university places, target workforce needs and give disadvantaged, First Nations and regional students more support to complete their studies.
“The Universities Accord makes it clear that the skills our country will need over the coming decades cannot be delivered by a higher education system designed for the challenges of the past. We need a system that plans ahead and ensures that every capable Australian has the opportunity to contribute. This is exactly what this proposed legislation sets out to achieve. This legislation is not simply a higher education reform but also an economic reform, a workplace reform and, importantly, an opportunity reform. That is why I support this bill. For communities like the one I represent, where families have worked hard, sacrificed and placed their faith in the power of education, this bill sends an important message: your ambition matters, your contribution matters and your future matters. I commend this bill to the House.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Louise Miller-Frost on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Miller-Frost supports the bill because it will expand university access for students from disadvantaged and regional backgrounds, provide needs-based fundingExtra university funding linked to student disadvantage or regional study. and create more Commonwealth-supported places.
“With an investment of $3.6 billion over the next decade, the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill will equip more Australians with future skills while entrenching educational justice in our higher education system. It will do this in three ways: by introducing a managed-growth funding system, by introducing demand-driven needs based funding and by formalising the ATEC's ability to allocate Commonwealth supported places.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Miller-Frost supports the bill because it will expand access to university regardless of background and help Australia meet growing demand for qualified workers.
“The bill also recognises the economic imperative of a more expansive higher education system, because the demand for workers with a certificate, diploma or degree is fast outpacing the number of graduates to meet that demand. We risk becoming a less competitive and less innovative country as a result. Education is crucial to Australia's economic future, and this bill will help to secure that future. I commend the bill to the House.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Renee Coffey on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Coffey supports the bill because it will expand Commonwealth supported university places and provide needs based funding to help disadvantaged, First Nations and regional students enter and complete higher education.
“Education gives people choices. It gives them knowledge, confidence and the skills to build a secure life. It gives our communities the teachers, nurses, builders, engineers, artists and carers that we rely on. But opportunity is never created simply by declaring that a door is open. A student needs a place at a tertiary institution. They need the means to accept it. They need support to keep studying through financial pressure, family crisis or a difficult first year. Then they need a fair chance to finish. This bill responds to each part of that task. It establishes a managed growth funding system to provide more Commonwealth supported university places. It creates demand driven, needs based funding for students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and students at regional campuses. Across the next decade, these reforms will invest another $3.6 billion in higher education and fund an estimated 230,000 additional commencing students. This is how we open the door wider and help more students reach the other side.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Coffey supports the bill because it will expand funded university places and provide stronger needs based support, helping more low-income, First Nations and regional students enter and complete higher education.
“Reaching the accord's target of 80 per cent tertiary attainment by 2050 starts with the investments that we make now. This bill invests another $3.6 billion in higher education over the next decade. It will fund an estimated 230,000 additional commencing university students. It will create more places and give students stronger support to complete their studies. Education gives people the skills to build secure lives and serve their communities. I have seen this time and again through the many years of my career. It gives Australia the teachers, nurses, engineers, carers and other skilled workers it will need. The decisions we make in this parliament will shape the choices available to children who have not yet even started school. We should want every one of those children to grow up knowing that their ability will be recognised, their work will be rewarded and the doors of opportunity will be open to them.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“The bill, in its title, includes the words 'opening the doors of opportunity', and those are words I heartily endorse. The Albanese Labor government is committed to opening the doors of opportunity for all Australians, regardless of their age or where they live. Gough Whitlam spent his entire time in public life working to create opportunities for all Australians while also dismantling the inequalities that by their very existence denied access to such opportunities. I, as the current member for Werriwa, am equally committed to these aims and ideals. I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“Following the second reading, the government will move amendments to correct some minor drafting issues in the bill, and on Monday the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee will hear from the sector and other stakeholders. I greatly look forward to the committee's report and to any recommendations for improvements, which, of course, the government will consider carefully. As always, the government is open to considering sensible and appropriate amendments, because this is an important bill. It means more young people from poor families, from the regions and from the bush getting a crack at going to university and getting the support they need to succeed when they get there. It will open the doors of opportunity wider. I commend this bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
7 speakers · 9 contributions · 6 mixed · 1 unclear
“If this bill comes to a vote in this chamber before the committee hands down its report, which I should indicate would not be my preference, we will not oppose it here. We will finalise our position based on the committee findings.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Alison Penfold on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Penfold argues that regional students face greater barriers to university because access depends on local opportunity and often requires moving away from home, but the supplied excerpt does not reveal whether she supports the bill.
“As the member for Lyne, I approach this debate from the perspective of regional Australia and, in particular, the Mid North Coast and Hunter region of New South Wales. For many Australians living in our major cities, attending university is often a matter of choice, but for many Australians living in regional communities, attending university is often a matter of opportunity, and that difference is important. In Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, students can choose between multiple universities within commuting distance of home. They can often live with their families while they study. For a young person growing up in Dungog, Taree, Wingham, Gloucester, Harrington, Tea Gardens, Bulahdelah, Forster, Tuncurry or the Manning Valley or the many other small towns and hamlets in my electorate—”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Penfold says the coalition has not yet decided whether to support the bill and will base its final position on a Senate committee inquiry. She warns that its expansion of ministerial control could undermine accountability and university autonomy, while leaving open support if it improves regional education and workforce opportunities.
“This brings me to the legislation before the House, the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. The coalition has not yet finalised its position on this bill and will refer it to a Senate committee for detailed examination. Our final position will be informed by the evidence received through that process.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
“However, we have to reserve our position at this stage because this bill needs to go through a Senate inquiry so Australians can have their say. The reality is that, time and time again, through these inquiries, we see the sort of feedback that points out glaring holes in the government's legislation. We saw that just in the winter break, with the Senate gambling inquiry, which was fought tooth and nail by the government but exposed clear holes in the bill. And so it is with the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill that we're here to debate today.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to speak to the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I'll just say at the outset that the coalition hasn't finalised its position on the bill. We will refer this to a Senate committee for inquiry and report because, ultimately, we believe in evidence, and the evidence that comes through that committee will be vital for us in determining our final position. This bill takes a lot of focus because it makes significant structural changes to the higher education system.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I went from Dookie to Shepparton. That was my university pathway. I, too, rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. We have a bill before us that I think requires greater scrutiny and we haven't finalised our position on this. We will refer this bill to a Senate committee for inquiry and report, and we will make our decision based on the evidence that comes through that process. If the bill comes to a vote in this House before the committee reports, we won't oppose it here, but we're not ready to endorse it yet. This does make significant structural changes to the higher education system, and it does deserve to be examined closely.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The coalition, as the shadow education minister, the member for Berowra, said, has not finalised its position on the bill. There are reasons for that. One of the reasons for that is, once again, Labor's lack of consultation. The coalition has concerns from the sector itself about the consultation process, including but not limited to the fact universities had not seen the bill before it was tabled. There are elements of the drafting surprising the actual sector. No exposure draft was released—probably no surprise there—and stakeholders were shown only limited material under confidentiality arrangements.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Andrew Wallace on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.
Second reading speech
Wallace says the coalition will reserve its position until the committee finishes its work, citing concerns about excessive ministerial power, weak parliamentary oversight, university autonomy and penalties that could reduce student opportunities.
“This is exactly why the committee process matters. Parliament should not be asked to sign a blank cheque and discover the real scheme later, in guidelines drafted behind closed doors in ministerial offices. The coalition will approach this bill constructively but not casually. The coalition will make its final decision after the work of the committee is complete. Our standard will be straightforward: does this bill expand opportunity without centralising— (Time expired)”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
Second reading speech
Wallace says the coalition has not finalised its position and will decide after a Senate committee examines the bill's effects, costs and safeguards. It will not oppose the bill if the House votes before then, but he is concerned that it gives the education minister extraordinary power over universities.
“I rise to speak on the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. At the outset, I want to make the coalition's position very clear. We've not finalised our position on this bill. It makes substantial structural changes to Australia's higher education system. It should therefore be tested thoroughly, properly, carefully and transparently through the Senate committee process. The Senate has now referred the bill to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee, which is due to report on 3 September 2026. That inquiry should examine the practical effect of this legislation; its fiscal consequences; the protection for students and providers; and the safeguards, if there are any, against the misuse of executive power. If the bill comes to a vote in this House before that committee has reported, the coalition will not oppose it, but our final position will be determined after the evidence has been heard and the committee has completed its work.”Read this contribution in Hansard ↗
1 speaker · 1 mixed
“The Universities Accord set worthy goals for the reform of Australia's tertiary education sector, and this bill makes progress in some areas: an increase in the number of Commonwealth supported places overall, additional funding for disadvantaged students and more support for regional institutions. These are all very welcome changes. However, this bill is currently subject to a Senate inquiry, and the submissions so far have highlighted numerous flaws. We do have some concerns about capping international students, reducing student choice and the risk of ministerial overreach. The Greens will explore these in the inquiry, reserving our position in the Senate.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
7 speakers · 6 support · 1 mixed
“This bill does do important things to open the doors of opportunity. It legislates needs based funding for disadvantaged First Nations and regional students. It's a meaningful acknowledgement that a university place in this country means something very different depending on where you grew up and your family's financial circumstances, and this bill sets Australia on a path towards the attainment targets that the accord identified as essential to our national prosperity. But the doors that prospective students walk through will not be defined by opportunity while the Job-ready Graduates scheme remains in place. In recognising that, I move:”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026 seeks to make the higher education funding system more responsive to student demand and provide additional support for students who face the greatest barriers to participation. I support this ambition and I will support the passage of this bill through the House, but not before I table what are some significant concerns, including overly broad ministerial powers in this bill, the allocation of international student places and the removal of equity funding for regional and rural students. It is a fact that people from regional areas are less likely to attend university than their metropolitan peers, and we really need to close this gap. In my electorate of Indi, just 17 per cent of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher—well below the national average of 26 per cent. Higher levels of educational attainment are clearly associated with better health, higher incomes, stronger workforce participation and overall improved wellbeing. In a nutshell, higher education means greater prosperity.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I also strongly urge the government to remove the failed job-ready graduates scheme which continues to burden students with higher debts without delivering the workforce outcomes it promised. Despite these reservations, I acknowledge the genuine ambition behind this legislation. Expanding opportunity, broadening participation and preparing Australia for the skills challenges of the future are important objectives, and they deserve our support. I thank the minister for his leadership on this vitally important work, and I commend the bill to the House.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is an important step towards a larger and fairer system, and I commend the government for progressing it, but it must create a funding and governance system that is fair, transparent, durable and protected from political misuse regardless of who occupies the ministerial office or government. Under the new managed-growth funding system, the minister will set a total allocation pool and the Australian Tertiary Education Commission, ATEC, will allocate core and additional growth places to universities and other eligible providers. The government expects this model to support an additional 230,000 places for commencing university students over the next decade, backed by an additional $3.6 billion in funding. The bill also establishes need based funding for universities enrolling students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, First Nations students and students studying at regional campuses. These are welcome reforms. I also welcome the greater long-term coordination through ATEC and mission based compacts. Australia needs an expert body that can take a national view of workforce needs, regional access, course capacity and financial sustainability.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“A bill titled 'opening the doors of opportunity' has to be judged against that standard. Does it open doors, or does it relocate the bottleneck? On the evidence now before this House, the hard caps risk closing doors on students through no fault of their own, and the ministerial powers aren't yet matched by appropriate safeguards. I'll be moving amendments in the consideration in detail stage to fix these problems. I want this bill to succeed, and succeeding means it has to work for the students trying to get into university to build a life for themselves not just for the bureaucrats in Canberra.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I rise to speak to the Universities Accord (Opening the Doors of Opportunity) Bill 2026. I acknowledge that managed growth was a recommendation of the Universities Accord, but I am cautious about measures in this bill not because there isn't a problem to solve but because it creates a centralised model and places unprecedented responsibilities with the minister and the Australian Tertiary Education Commission. I support the amendments proposed by the member for Curtin, formed by the universities themselves. These amendments would moderate the powers given to ATEC and the minister, striking, I believe, a better balance between stewardship and central control. I note that it is on the basis of these amendments being adopted that the sector has broadly given qualified support for this bill. But, once again, it's very disappointing that this House is being asked to speak to and likely vote on this bill before we've had a chance to review the outcomes of the Senate inquiry.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“I will support this bill, but I will do so with caution. It is a small win for my community and a meaningful one, but I put to the government that there are things that still need to be done. This cannot be where we stop. It cannot become an election brochure while the hard work is left undone. I will keep standing in this place for the young people of Fowler—the students studying at the kitchen table after a long shift and the first-in-the-family kid who walked through Fowler Future Fest and saw, for the first time, that a degree could be for them. The Minister for Education was once one of those kids. He knows better than anyone in this House what is at stake. I ask him to make sure that this bill lives up to its name. Our young people do not need another slogan. They need the door open.”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 · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
House · Second reading agreed to
Second reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.
House · Consideration in detail: amendments considered
Amendments agreed
The chamber considered amendments before the bill moved to the next stage.
House · Third reading agreed to
Third reading agreed
The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.
Senate · 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.
Senate · 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.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate · Second reading debate
Second reading debate
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Scrutiny Digest 8 of 2026
Considered by scrutiny committee (1 July 2026): Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills; Scrutiny Digest 8 of 2026
APH bill page notesSenate Education and Employment Legislation Committee
Report tabled 03 Sep 2026
Referred to Committee (2 July 2026): Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee; Committee report (3 Sept 2026)
APH bill page notesParliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
Report 9 of 2026
Considered by scrutiny committee (12 Aug 2026): Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights; Report 9 of 2026
APH bill page notes
