Great news for students entering or currently enrolled in Master programs across Australia with qualifying, provisional, or conditional accreditation status – these programs now qualify to be approved programs for student payment purposes. This means students will now be eligible for government funding support such as Youth Allowance, Austudy and a range of other student payments. Previously, newly established Master programs were ineligible for government funding as only fully accredited programs were recognised. We heard our Master students and their education providers loud and clear. We know many of our students have experienced financial stress to complete their degrees or have needed to pause their studies.
After years of hard work, including meetings with government officials and accreditation bodies, Speech Pathology Australia has successfully advocated for a policy change.
Now, all Master programs, regardless of accreditation status, are eligible for government funding support. This is a gamechanger for hundreds of students starting or currently enrolled in a Master of Speech Pathology degree. Not only that, but this eligibility also extends to other disciplines including social work, dietetics, audiology and exercise and sports science.
We’re particularly grateful to staff and students at the University of Tasmania for working closely with us to make this happen. Thank you.