Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010

Administered by Department of Education

Legislation au C2010A00111 In force Act

Legislation content

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010

 

No. 111, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments

Higher Education Support Act 2003

 

 

 

Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010

No. 111, 2010

 

 

 

An Act to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003, and for related purposes

[Assented to 14 July 2010]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010.

2  Commencement

  This Act commences on 1 January 2011.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.


Schedule 1—Amendments

 

Higher Education Support Act 2003

1  Section 1985

Repeal the section, substitute:

198‑5  The amounts that are to be indexed

  This table sets out the amounts that are to be indexed.

 

Amounts that are to be indexed

Item

Amounts:

See:

1

*Commonwealth contribution amounts

Section 3310

2

Reduction amount

Section 3337

3

*Maximum student contribution amounts for places

Section 9310

4

The *FEEHELP limit

Section 10420

5

The *maximum OSHELP amount

Section 1215

2  Subsection 19810(1)

Repeal the subsection, substitute:

 (1) An amount is indexed on 1 January 2012, and on each subsequent 1 January, by multiplying it by the *indexation factor for the relevant year.

3  Section 19820

Repeal the section, substitute:

198‑20  Meaning of index number

 (1) For the purpose of applying section 19810 to the amounts specified in the table in section 1985 for a year, the index number is the Higher Education Grants Index number for the year published by the Minister in the Gazette.

 (2) The Higher Education Grants Index number for a year must reflect the following amounts:

 (a) 25% of the amount of the movement in the All Groups Consumer Price Index for the weighted average of the 8 capital cities, based on index numbers published by the *Australian Statistician for each *quarter in the *indexation period;

 (b) 75% of 90% of the amount of the movement in the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Labour Price Index, based on index numbers published by the Australian Statistician for each quarter in the indexation period.

 (3) Subject to subsection (4), if, at any time before or after the commencement of this subsection:

 (a) the *Australian Statistician has published or publishes an index number in respect of a *quarter; and

 (b) that index number is in substitution for an index number previously published by the Australian Statistician in respect of that quarter;

regard may be had to the publication of the later index for the purposes of calculating the Higher Education Grants Index number for a year.

 (4) If, at any time before or after the commencement of this subsection, the *Australian Statistician has changed or changes the reference base for the All Groups Consumer Price Index or the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Labour Price Index, then, for the purposes of applying this section after the change took place or takes place, have regard to index numbers published in terms of the new reference base.

 (5) For the purpose of applying section 19810 to the amounts specified in each item of the table in section 1985 for 2012, the index number for 2011 is taken to be 1.

 (6) A notice in the Gazette specifying an index number is not a legislative instrument.

 (7) In this section:

indexation period, in relation to a calendar year, means the period beginning on 1 January 2010 and ending on 31 December of the calendar year before the immediately preceding calendar year.

4  Section 19825

Repeal the section.

5  Subclause 1(1) of Schedule 1

Insert:

indexation period has the meaning given by subsection 19820(7).

6  Application

The amendments made by this Schedule (other than item 4) apply in respect of the Higher Education Grants Index number published by the Minister in the Gazette for the 2012 year and subsequent years.

 

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 12 May 2010

Senate on 24 June 2010]

(78/10)

 

Overview

The Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia to amend the Higher Education Support Act 2003, primarily addressing the need for a revised indexation mechanism to determine the amounts that are indexed under the Higher Education Support Act 2003. This Act commenced on 1 January 2011 and includes amendments that redefine the indexation period and the method of calculating the Higher Education Grants Index number. The policy objective is to ensure that the indexation of certain financial limits and amounts related to higher education support is reflective of the economic conditions and changes in the higher education sector, thereby maintaining the sustainability and fairness of the higher education support system. The Act specifies that the Higher Education Grants Index number for a given year should be calculated based on a combination of movements in the All Groups Consumer Price Index and the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Labour Price Index, as published by the Australian Statistician. This approach aims to provide a balanced and accurate reflection of economic changes relevant to the higher education sector. The amendments apply to the Higher Education Grants Index number published for the year 2012 and subsequent years, ensuring that the indexation process remains current and responsive to economic shifts.

Scope and Application

The Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010 amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to modify the indexation of certain amounts related to higher education support. This Act applies to Commonwealth contribution amounts, reduction amounts, maximum student contribution amounts for places, the FEE-HELP limit, and the maximum OS-HELP amount, all of which are indexed to ensure they reflect changes in economic conditions. The Act applies nationally within the Commonwealth of Australia, affecting higher education providers and students who engage in eligible higher education courses. The amendments specified in the Act apply from 1 January 2012, as per the index numbers published by the Minister in the Gazette. The Act does not explicitly provide for exclusions or exemptions but instead establishes a new method for indexation that will be applied to the specified amounts. Any further details regarding the application and administration of these provisions may be found in subordinate instruments or guidelines issued under the authority of the Act.

Key Provisions

The Higher Education Support Amendment (Indexation) Act 2010 amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 primarily through Schedule 1, which outlines various amendments. The key provisions involve the indexing of specific amounts associated with higher education support. Section 198-5 of the Act lists the amounts that are to be indexed, including Commonwealth contribution amounts, reduction amounts, maximum student contribution amounts for places, the FEE-HELP limit, and the maximum OS-HELP amount (sections 33-10, 33-37, 93-10, 104-20, and 121-5 respectively). Subsection 198-10(1) specifies that these amounts are indexed on 1 January 2012, and each subsequent 1 January, by multiplying them by the indexation factor for the relevant year. The index number, as defined in section 198-20, is calculated based on a weighted average of movements in the All Groups Consumer Price Index and the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Labour Price Index, published by the Australian Statistician. The Act imposes obligations on entities and individuals involved in the provision and receipt of higher education support. These include adhering to the new indexation method as outlined in the Act, ensuring that the specified amounts are correctly indexed each year from 2012 onwards. The indexation method involves using the Higher Education Grants Index number, which is published by the Minister in the Gazette. This index number is derived from specified percentages of movements in the All Groups Consumer Price Index and the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Labour Price Index, ensuring that the indexation reflects changes in the cost of living and labour prices in relevant sectors. Failure to comply with the provisions of this Act can lead to various consequences. Although the Act does not explicitly state offences or penalties, non-compliance with the specified indexation method could result in financial discrepancies or legal challenges. For example, institutions that fail to correctly index the specified amounts could face financial penalties or be required to make retrospective adjustments. Similarly, students who are affected by incorrect indexing might seek redress, leading to potential legal disputes. The precise penalties or consequences would depend on the specific nature of the non-compliance and the context in which it occurs.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Education Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Indexation

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.