States Grants (Universities) Act 1973
No. 97 of 1973
AN ACT
To Grant Financial Assistance to the States for the purpose of Assistance to Students in Need at Universities in the Year 1973.
[Assented to 10 September 1973]
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives of Australia, as follows:—
Short title and citation.
1. (1) This Act may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Act 1973.
(2) The States Grants (Universities) Act (No. 2) 1972 is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.
(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the States Grants (Universities) Act 1972–1973.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on 17th June, 1973.
3. After section 11 of the Principal Act the following section is inserted:—
Grants for assistance to students in need.
“11a. (1) In relation to each University specified in the Eighth Schedule there is payable, in the year that commenced on 1st January, 1973, to the State in which the University is situated, for the purpose of financial assistance, the amount specified in the second column of the Eighth Schedule opposite to the name of that University.
“(2) The financial assistance to a State by way of payment of an amount under this section in relation to a University is granted on the conditions that—
(a) the State will, without undue delay, pay that amount to the University;
(b) the State will ensure that the amount so paid to the University is applied by the University towards assisting students in need; and
(c) the State will, as a condition of the payment to the University, require the University to furnish annually to the Commission statistics and information in respect of the application of the amount by the University.
“(3) In this section, ‘student in need’ means a student enrolled at a University specified in the Eighth Schedule who is determined by that University to be experiencing hardship by reason of his financial circumstances.”.
Eighth Schedule.
4. The Principal Act is amended by adding at the end thereof the following Schedule:—
EIGHTH SCHEDULE Section 11a
Grants for Assistance to Students in Need in the Year 1973
First column | Second column |
University | Amount of Grant |
New South Wales— | $ |
University of Sydney.................................. | 359,000 |
University of New South Wales........................... | 277,050 |
University of New England.............................. | 63,000 |
University of Newcastle................................ | 56,000 |
Macquarie University................................. | 81,000 |
Wollongong University College........................... | 20,000 |
Victoria— | |
University of Melbourne............................... | 273,000 |
Monash University................................... | 231,000 |
La Trobe University.................................. | 82,000 |
Queensland— | |
University of Queensland............................... | 220,000 |
James Cook University of North Queensland.................. | 25,000 |
South Australia— | |
University of Adelaide................................. | 146,000 |
Flinders University of South Australia....................... | 54,000 |
Western Australia— | |
University of Western Australia........................... | 147,000 |
Tasmania— | |
University of Tasmania................................ | 62,000 |
| 2,096,000 |
Overview
The States Grants (Universities) Act 1973, enacted by the Queen, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of Australia, addresses the financial needs of students in universities during the year 1973. This Act was introduced to provide financial assistance to states for the purpose of helping students who are experiencing hardship due to their financial circumstances. The policy objective of the Act is to ensure that specified universities receive funds to support students in need, with the requirement that these funds be used directly to assist those students. The Act operates by providing grants to the relevant states, which are then passed on to the universities, subject to conditions that the funds be applied appropriately and that statistics and information on the use of these funds be reported annually.
The Act amends the States Grants (Universities) Act (No. 2) 1972, inserting a new section that outlines the grants for assistance to students in need at specified universities for the year 1973. The financial assistance is to be provided to states based on the amounts listed in the Eighth Schedule, with conditions attached to ensure the funds are used as intended. The Eighth Schedule details the amount of grant allocated to each university, specifying the total amount to be $2,096,000. This legislative measure was enacted to bridge the gap in financial support for students at universities across various states in Australia for the specified year.
Scope and Application
The States Grants (Universities) Act 1973 applies to universities specified in the Eighth Schedule, which includes several universities across different states in Australia, and is concerned with providing financial assistance to these institutions for the benefit of students experiencing financial hardship. The act is operative in the year 1973 and provides for specific grants to be paid to the states in which these universities are located, with the condition that these funds are then passed on to the respective universities for use in assisting students in need. The act does not explicitly outline exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds but specifies that the financial assistance is contingent on the state’s adherence to certain conditions, including the timely payment of grants to the universities and the requirement for universities to provide annual statistics on the use of these funds. The act's jurisdictional reach is federal, applying to the listed universities across different states, and the conditions and scope of the grants are further detailed in the Eighth Schedule.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of the States Grants (Universities) Act 1973 (C1973A00097) are primarily concerned with the provision of financial assistance to universities to support students in need. Section 11a, inserted after section 11 of the Principal Act, mandates the payment of specific amounts to states for designated universities, as detailed in the Eighth Schedule, to be used for assisting students facing financial hardship. This section requires that the funds be directly transferred to the universities, which in turn must use the funds to support students deemed to be in need due to financial difficulties. Furthermore, universities are obligated to provide annual statistics and information to the Commission regarding the application of these funds.
The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. Primarily, the states that receive the grants must ensure that the funds are promptly transferred to the relevant universities. Universities, upon receiving the funds, are required to use them exclusively for the assistance of students in need, as defined by the university itself. Additionally, universities must furnish the Commission with detailed annual reports on how the funds are being applied, including statistics and other pertinent information. These obligations ensure transparency and accountability in the use of the grants.
Breaches of the obligations stipulated in the Act may result in various consequences, although the Act itself does not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties. However, failure to comply with the conditions for the use of funds, such as misapplying the grants or not providing the required annual reports, could potentially lead to legal or administrative repercussions. While the Act does not specify maximum penalties, such breaches could be subject to scrutiny and corrective actions by the relevant authorities, potentially leading to financial penalties, audits, or other enforcement measures to ensure compliance with the Act’s requirements.