Top Australian Universities’ Support for Millions of Funding to Student Groups Questioned

Australia’s top eight universities have been criticised for supporting new law changes that could grant student-run organisations additional access to millions of dollars in funding. Following the passing of the Universities Accord (Student Support and Other Measures) Bill 2024, universities that charge a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) will be required to provide student-led organisations with a guaranteed share of SSAF revenue of at least 40 percent from January 2025. A number of universities have raised concerns about the practicality of the policy and its impacts on their operation. At a Senate inquiry hearing on Sept. 24, Matthew Brown, the deputy CEO of the Group of Eight—a coalition of Australia’s top research-intensive universities—said his organisation generally supported the policy as it aligned with how things worked in practice....