University sector faces $3bn revenue loss

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson says she was “disappointed” universities are not eligible for greater access to the JobKeeper program as the sector faces financial strain due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the $130 billion wage subsidy plan, charity workers would be able to access fortnightly payments of $1,500 per person as part of the government's initiative to help not-for-profit organisations during the virus outbreak. Ms Jackson told Sky News “universities are not-for-profit entities and in fact registered charities so we were hoping we would be eligible under that new 15 per cent revenue decline level that some other charities are being let in on”. “Every cent that comes into a university goes back into the education of students and goes back into world leading research,” she said. She said there were serious concerns that the university sector faced losing at least $3 billion in revenue as well as costing about 21,000 jobs. “Domestic enrolments are holding up mostly really well” however the “really big revenue hit” comes from international students, she said. “We know there will simply be a substantial decline in the number of international students because many of them cannot get here physically.” Image: News Corp Australia

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