Universities push for ‘flexibility’ in fees

By Tim Dodd. Two influential vice-chancellors have renewed their push for “flexibility” in university fees to allow them to rise to boost funding for cash-strapped higher education institutions.

Writing in Monday’s The Australian Financial Review, Glyn Davis, the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne, and Greg Craven, the vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University (ACU), said the federal government’s review of the demand driven system for university funding should consider this option.

The two represent two different universities with very different interests, but they have found common cause on the fee issue. More...