Early data for 2021 shows that the Government's Job-ready Graduates package is having the intended impact: more students studying overall, and more applying to courses in areas of expected job growth.
Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge said that while final data won't be available until later in the year, preliminary data from Tertiary Admissions Centres (TACs) was promising.
"Our intent was to encourage more students into courses where there was the best chance of getting a job. Pleasingly, this is now happening, with applications for courses such as agriculture up 16 per cent and applications in health up 15.5 per cent," Minister Tudge said.
"We're also seeing more people applying to study education, architecture and IT - all areas where we expect to see job growth in coming years.
"Pleasingly, the data shows a seven per cent increase in overall applications, meaning more Australians are looking to begin tertiary study in 2021.
"Our Job-ready Graduates package is a significant reform and provides up to 30,000 more opportunities for Australians to get a degree and get into a job in 2021.
"Students will ultimately make up their own minds about what to study, but we make no apologies for encouraging Australians to study in areas of expected job growth.
"We're investing a record $20 billion in higher education in 2021, including $550 million for extra university and short course places and an additional $1 billion for research that will flow into universities this year.
"This all about getting Australians the skills and qualifications they need to get a job in our post-COVID economic recovery."
About two-thirds of higher education applications are made through TACs, with the remaining applications made directly through universities.
31 January 2020 to 31 January 2021 comparison
| Previous Fees | Fees under JRG | Percentage fee change | TAC applications 2020 | TAC applications 2021 | TAC application change 2020 to 2021 | |
| Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies | $9,698 | $3,950 | -59% | 2,537 | 2,942 | 16.0 |
| Health | $9,698 | $7,950 | -18% | 70,040 | 80,880 | 15.5 |
| Education | $6,804 | $3,950 | -42% | 15,060 | 16,540 | 9.8 |
| Architecture and Building | $9,698 | $7,950 | -18% | 7,234 | 7,910 | 9.3 |
| Information Technology | $9,698 | $7,950 | -18% | 6,968 | 7,427 | 6.6 |
| Society and Culture | $6,804 | $14,500 | 113% | 44,075 | 46,689 | 5.9 |
| Natural and Physical Sciences | $9,698 | $7,950 | -18% | 23,368 | 24,002 | 2.7 |
| Engineering and Related Technologies | $9,698 | $7,950 | -18% | 14,817 | 15,123 | 2.1 |
| Management and Commerce | $11,355 | $14,500 | 28% | 25,675 | 24,490 | -4.6 |
| Creative Arts | $6,804 | $7,950 | 17% | 17,625 | 17,306 | -1.8 |
