The 2012 Budget maintains the expansion of Australia’s higher education and research systems.

“Against a challenging budget the IRU is very pleased that the Government kept faith with its commitment to education and research as fundamental to our future economic and social well being” said Professor Ian O’Connor, Chair of the IRU.

“The IRU supports the equity package which provides long term certainty of funding per head for students of enabling programs and for students from a low SES background. These were proposals from the Base Funding Review which the IRU highlighted for action in this Budget,” he said.