EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Declaration issued under paragraph 36-35(1)(b) of the Higher Education Support Act 2003
Issued by the authority of the Minister for Education, Science and Training
Subject:- Higher Education Support Act 2003
Percentage of Commonwealth supported places to be provided by Table A providers for a course of study in medicine
Authority
Paragraph 36-35(1)(b) of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (the Act) requires a higher education provider to ensure that the number of Commonwealth supported places accounts for at least the percentage, declared by the Minister in writing, of the total places provided by the provider for domestic students in each course of study in medicine.
Purpose and operation
The existing declaration is being revoked and a new declaration is being made so that for each provider, the percentage referred to in paragraph 36-35(1)(b) of the Act, is 75% or the percentage calculated using the formula below, whichever is the higher:
{[the number of Commonwealth supported places occupied by continuing domestic students plus 75% of the number of places occupied by commencing domestic students of the provider] divided by the total number of places occupied by domestic students of the provider} x 100
All of the numbers refer to medical courses for the provider in the relevant year.
Commencement
The declaration is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 and will take effect the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
Consultation
The policy of setting a ten per cent cap on the number of domestic fee paying medical places was developed as part of the Backing Australia’s Future reforms which involved extensive consultation with the sector. At the time, the Australian Government indicated that the percentage may change over time should the need arise. The Council of Australian Governments agreed at its meeting on 10 February 2006 that the cap be increased to 25 per cent.