Arts degrees to cost $50,000 until at least 2028 as measures to lower Australian university fees put on hold

The man tasked with reforming the controversial Job-ready Graduates (JRG) program says he will not recommend any interim measures to reduce the $50,000 cost of arts degrees, despite calling the scheme a failure. Under the scheme introduced by the Morrison government, costs for science and maths courses were slashed to encourage students to take up Stem subjects, while arts and humanities fees rose sharply. The change led to university enrolments of students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds falling in some arts subjects, with critics warning of a “segregated” higher education system . Barney Glover, the new head of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (Atec), told Guardian Australia he would provide advice to the government on funding for degrees in the second half of next year.