Summary

Amends the: Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: provide demand-driven funding to diploma, advanced diploma and associate degree courses and extend government subsidies to bachelor and sub-bachelor courses at private universities and non-university higher education providers; remove the maximum student contribution amounts; remove the maximum student contribution amounts that providers can charge students in Commonwealth supported places; merge the FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP loan schemes, including the removal of the FEE-HELP loan fee and lifetime limits, HECS-HELP upfront discount and HELP voluntary repayment bonus; establish a Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme to support disadvantaged students; replace the CPI indexation of HELP loans with the 10 year government bond rate; lower the minimum repayment threshold for HELP debts; enable providers to charge Research Training Scheme students capped tuition fees; remove the lifetime limits on VET FEE-HELP loans and the VET FEE-HELP loan fee; replace the Higher Education Grants Index with the CPI; update the name of the University of Ballarat to Federation University Australia; enable certain New Zealand citizens to be eligible for HELP assistance; Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 to provide that the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency may determine when fees may be refunded, and disclose certain information; Higher Education Support Act 2003 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to discontinue the HECS-HELP benefit; Australian National University Act 1991, Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 to make consequential amendments; and Australian Research Council Act 2001 to enable additional investment in research through the Future Fellowships Scheme, apply indexation, apply a one-off efficiency dividend, and add an additional forward estimate amount. Also: amends the Commonwealth Grants Scheme Guidelines 2012 and Other Grants Guidelines (Research) 2012; and repeals the Higher Education (Designated Courses of Study) Specification 2011 and a determination made under subsection 169-20(1) of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 [FRLI No. F2007B01092].