Universities back compromise on fees

By Julie Hare and Sarah Martin. UNIVERSITY heads have urged crossbench senators to back a proposed government compromise on higher education reform, saying the new deal will moderate fee increases and appease students.
But they say the potential backflip on up to $2 billion cuts to the sector — offered on the condition of deregulation — would not be enough to address chronic underfunding of universities, and have called for institutions to be free to set their own course fees from 2016. More...