This instrument is the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Disability Support Programs, Women in STEM and Regional University Study Hubs) Guidelines 2023.

This instrument commences the day after this instrument is registered.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 238-10 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

4 Schedules

Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1—Amendments

Part 1—Disability Support Programs

Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022

1 Subsections 39(1) and (2)

Repeal subsections 39(1) and (2), substitute:

(1) The total amounts available for the two Disability Support Programs (the Disability Support Fund and the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training) for 2023, 2024, 2025 and future years are:

(a) for 2023, $10,184,843;

(b) for 2024, $13,343,418; and

(c) for 2025, the amount that is determined by multiplying $13,143,418 with the indexation factor (within the meaning of subsection 198-15(1) of the Act) for 2025 (the 2025 DSP Grants Total);

(d) for all future years, the 2025 DSP Grants total as indexed under section 40.

(2) The total amount of funding available for the Disability Support Fund (the DSF yearly total) is:

(a) for 2023, the amount in paragraph (1)(a), less the amount allocated to the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training under section 45 (the ADCET amount) for that year;

(b) for 2024, the amount in paragraph (1)(b), less the ADCET amount for that year;

(d) for all future years, the 2025 DSP Grants Total, as indexed, less the ADCET amount for that year.

2 Paragraph 39(5)(a)

Omit “$10,271 in 2022”, substitute “$10,631 in 2023”.

3 Section 40

Omit “subsections 39(1) and 39(5) for the year 2022”, substitute “paragraphs 39(1)(d) and (5)(a)”.

Part 2—Women in STEM Cadetships and Advanced Apprenticeships Program

Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022

4 Paragraph 47(2)(a)

After “agree to enter into a deed of agreement with the Commonwealth under this Part”, insert “in which the provider is allocated employer reserved places”.

5 Section 49

Repeal section 49.

6 Subsection 50(1)

Omit “subsection (4)”, insert: “subsections (4) and (5)”.

7 Subsection 50(4)

Omit “for a year”, insert: “for each year”.

8 Subsection 50(4)

After subsection 50(4), insert:

(5) Notwithstanding subsection 50(4), a Women in STEM employer will not be eligible to receive more than:

(a) $10,000 in relation to a student undertaking a course of study that leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification at level 5; and

(b) $20,000 in relation to a student undertaking a course of study that leads to an Australian Qualifications Framework qualification at level 6.

Part 3—Regional University Study Hubs

Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Guidelines 2022

9 Paragraph 18(2)(a)

Omit “Regional University Centres”, insert “Regional University Study Hubs”.

10 Paragraph 18(2)(b)

Omit “Regional University Centres”, insert “Regional University Study Hubs”.

11 Section 19

Omit “Regional University Centres”, insert “Regional University Study Hubs”.

12 Part 9 (heading)

Repeal the heading, substitute:

Part 9—Grants to support open access to higher education across Australia—Regional University Study Hubs

13 Subsection 64(1)

Omit “Regional University Centres”, insert “Regional University Study Hubs”.

14 Subsection 64(2)

Repeal subsection 64(2), substitute:

(2) The objective of the Regional University Study Hubs Program is to provide financial assistance to community-based bodies corporate in regional and remote areas of Australia, to enable them to establish and maintain regional university study hubs in regional areas that support local students.

15 Subsection 66(1)

Repeal subsection 66(1), substitute:

Grant to be used to establish and operate a Regional University Study Hub

(1) A grant under the Regional University Study Hubs Program must only be used to establish, operate and maintain a facility in, and to provide services from, a location in a Remoteness Area categorised under the ABS Remoteness Structure as Inner Regional Australia, Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia or Very Remote Australia.