A third of all Indigenous university students are enrolled in Arts degrees but with fees skyrocketing under the Job-Ready Graduates policy it could be putting them off enrolling at all.

That’s the warning from Professor Reuben Bolt, DVC Indigenous Strategy and Services at the University of Sydney in a recent interview with National Indigenous Television (NITV).

“We’re really concerned students enrolled in these higher-fee courses are going to be lumbered with significant debt and that this is affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other groups of students disproportionately,” he said.

“Without question Job-Ready Graduates has not narrowed the gap for Indigenous students.

“We’re very concerned by the extent to which the high fees may be preventing Indigenous students believing and experiencing that university can be a place for them.”

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) has been tasked with reviewing this policy and we are looking forward to supporting the process to ensure better outcomes for our students.

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