Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

As well as being interested in the pathway programs I was just talking about, which are very valuable, in asking that question Senator McKenzie is showing an interest in the creation of the Commonwealth scholarships. These scholarships are going to provide strong support—with living costs and in other ways—for students from low socio-economic status backgrounds. That will include a lot of Indigenous students and students from rural and regional Australia, as well as other students from more challenged environments.

We are taking other steps in this space as well. We are abolishing the 20 per cent loan fee for VET FEE-HELP. We believe that will help around 80,000 students, saving them on average around $1,600. Let us not forget that no student has to pay a dollar up-front or to repay their HELP loan until they are earning $50,000. Let us also not forget that those opposite made massive cuts to higher education. Over their term, those cuts totalled $6.6 billion, including $2.8 billion on just one day. (Time expired)