Around 1,500 more Australians will be able to do FEE-FREE Uni-Ready Courses next year, which give them the skills to start a university degree.
The Universities Accord recommended a major increase in funding for these short courses which help prepare people for university, acting as a bridge between school and university.
That's why we're investing an extra billion dollars over the next ten years to expand access to these courses.
Our total investment in FEE-FREE Uni Ready places will hit $173 million in 2026. That means nearly 25,000 people will undertake a FEE-FREE Uni Ready course in 2026.
By 2030, we expect this number to be around 30,000.
This puts the Government on track to reach the target of increasing the number of students doing these bridging courses by 40 per cent by 2030 and doubling the number of students by 2040.
Source: Department of Education
We are also expanding the number of places at university.
Next year more Australians will start a university degree than ever before with the Australian Tertiary Education Commission allocating an extra 9,500 commencing domestic places to universities on top of 2025 levels.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:
"The Universities Accord says that by 2050, 80 per cent of the workforce will need a tertiary qualification.
"The only way to hit that target is to help more people go to TAFE and university.
"These free bridging courses are part of that. They give you the skills you need to succeed when you get to university.
"This is all about breaking down that invisible barrier that stops a lot of people getting to uni.
"It's not just a free course. It changes lives."
