The Claim
“Tried to reduce the number of tertiary courses eligible for Austudy report.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The Coalition government did reduce tertiary courses eligible for Austudy, though the language in the claim ("tried to") is somewhat ambiguous—the government successfully implemented this policy rather than merely attempting it [1].
In December 2017, Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced that dance, theatre, and musical theatre diploma courses would be removed from VET Student Loan (VSL) approval effective January 1, 2018 [2]. Since Austudy eligibility is tied to approved courses under the Student Assistance (Education Institutions and Courses) Determination, the removal from VSL automatically removed Austudy eligibility for these courses [3].
However, the claim's scope is underspecified. The policy affected far more than just these three arts-related fields. The Coalition removed approximately 478 vocational courses total from VET Student Loan approval in this 2017 reform, with the creative arts sector particularly hard hit: 57 of 70 creative arts courses were removed, leaving only 13 approved [4]. Examples of removed courses included diplomas in butler service, hairdressing leadership, holistic counselling, and circus arts [5].
The government's stated rationale, according to Minister Birmingham, was to remove "lifestyle-related" training courses and focus resources on those with "maximum chance of leading to jobs" and would "benefit Australia economically in the 21st century" [2].
Implementation Note: The policy affected new enrolments only; students already enrolled in these courses retained their funding [3].
Missing Context
The claim omits critical context about why these courses were removed. The Coalition's 2017-2018 VET reform was a direct response to a massive fraud and waste crisis in the VET FEE-HELP scheme that Labor had created and expanded [6].
Labor governments under Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard created VET FEE-HELP in 2008 and expanded it without adequate regulation [7]. By 2015, the scheme had ballooned to $2.9 billion, up from $25.6 million in 2009—a 113-fold increase [8]. The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) later found that the scheme had suffered spectacular failure: approximately $1.2 billion in inappropriately issued loans from 2014-2015 alone would not be recovered, and about 38,000 students were locked into unwanted federal loans [6].
Private vocational providers had exploited the unregulated scheme with predatory practices including false advertising, low-quality courses, and fraudulent credentials [6]. The Coalition's 2017 course removal was intended to correct this deregulation disaster and focus subsidies on genuine skills development [5].
The claim also does not mention that the Coalition provided exceptions for prestigious institutions. For example, the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and Melbourne Polytechnic retained approval for their theatre and dance programs [2].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source is ABC's Hack program (Triple J's youth news and current affairs show). Hack is part of the ABC, which is Australia's publicly funded national broadcaster and generally maintains editorial standards for factual accuracy [9]. The show covers political, social, and policy issues from a youth perspective but is not specifically advocacy-oriented. As a mainstream ABC program, it is considered a credible source, though specific individual pieces should be evaluated on their content [10].
However, the claim as stated on mdavis.xyz/govlist (which is explicitly Labor-aligned) may have selectively framed the context. The phrasing "Tried to reduce" could be interpreted as emphasizing the policy as problematic without acknowledging the fraud context that prompted it.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor attempt similar course restrictions?
The research reveals the opposite pattern: Labor governments did not restrict Austudy-eligible courses; rather, they created and expanded VET funding without adequate restrictions, which directly led to the fraud problem.
Labor's VET FEE-HELP Record (2008-2022):
- Created the scheme: Labor under Kevin Rudd established VET FEE-HELP in June 2008 to increase VET participation [7]
- Expanded without safeguards: Labor expanded VET FEE-HELP coverage in 2009 to partially government-subsidized courses, with minimal regulatory oversight [7]
- Result: The scheme grew to $2.9 billion by 2015 with widespread fraud, abuse, and poor outcomes [6]
- No course restrictions: Labor did not restrict which courses could be funded; their policy was to liberalize access [8]
Albanese Government (2022-present):
The current Labor government has continued a policy of expanding rather than restricting VET course eligibility:
- Established 180,000 fee-free TAFE and VET places (2023) [11]
- Committed to an additional 320,000 fee-free TAFE places from 2024-2026 [11]
- Focused on expanding approved training areas including care, technology, manufacturing, and defence [11]
- No evidence of course eligibility restrictions comparable to the Coalition's 2017-2018 policy [11]
Conclusion: Labor's historical approach was to expand VET course eligibility (which created problems through lack of regulation). The Albanese government continues expanding access. The Coalition's course restriction policy appears to be a distinguishing feature of their approach, not something Labor replicated.
Balanced Perspective
The Criticism (What the Claim Emphasizes):
Critics of the Coalition's 2017-2018 course removals argued that the policy unfairly targeted creative arts education and reduced opportunities for students pursuing legitimate tertiary qualifications in fields like performing arts and dance [2]. The arts sector, through organizations like Ausdance (the peak body for dance in Australia), criticized the policy, warning that students forced to work evening/night shifts alongside demanding study schedules would face increased injury risk [12].
The Coalition's Rationale (What the Claim Omits):
The Coalition government faced a genuine crisis: the VET FEE-HELP scheme created by Labor had become a vehicle for fraud and predatory lending. The ANAO's 2016 performance audit found approximately $1.2 billion in inappropriately issued loans and identified systemic failures in:
- Inadequate provider approval processes [6]
- Insufficient monitoring of student outcomes [6]
- Widespread false advertising and misleading recruitment [6]
- Weak oversight of course quality [6]
Minister Simon Birmingham's 2017 reform was designed to restore integrity to vocational education by limiting funding to courses with demonstrated employment outcomes and removing courses where fraud had been rampant [2]. The Coalition's logic: the unregulated expansion under Labor had created a crisis, requiring tighter eligibility criteria [5].
Expert and Industry Response:
- Arts educators: Criticized the removal as short-sighted and harmful to cultural development [2]
- Broader policy context: The Coalition also increased university fees for humanities/arts degrees through the Job-Ready Graduates scheme, suggesting a consistent policy of deprioritizing arts education [13]
- VET sector recovery: The stricter approval process was intended to rebuild trust in VET qualifications after the fraud crisis [5]
Comparative Analysis:
Unlike the Coalition's restrictive approach, Labor has emphasized expanding access to subsidized VET training through fee-free TAFE and broader course approvals. This reflects fundamentally different philosophy: Labor prioritizes expanding access (risking fraud/waste), while the Coalition prioritizes restricting access to ensure quality and employment outcomes (risking limiting legitimate opportunities).
Key Context: The removal of approximately 478 courses was not an arbitrary ideological preference for "job-focused" training over "lifestyle" courses. Rather, it was a policy response to a $1.2 billion fraud crisis in a scheme Labor created. That said, critics could reasonably argue the Coalition's response was overkill, particularly given exceptions were made for prestigious institutions like NIDA but not equivalent programs at smaller institutions.
PARTIALLY TRUE
6.0
out of 10
The Coalition government did remove tertiary courses (specifically dance, theatre, and musical theatre diplomas, plus approximately 475 other courses) from Austudy eligibility in 2017-2018. However, the claim is "partially true" rather than fully true because:
Framing issue: The claim says "tried to reduce" when the government successfully implemented the policy (it wasn't merely an attempt).
Context omission: The claim presents this as an arbitrary education policy without acknowledging that it was a direct response to a massive fraud crisis in the VET FEE-HELP scheme created by Labor, which had cost $1.2 billion and harmed 38,000 students.
Scope ambiguity: The claim could misleadingly suggest a narrow, targeted reduction when approximately 478 courses were removed across multiple categories.
Fairness concern: While the policy was controversial in the arts education community, it was implemented with stated rationale and exceptions for premier institutions, not without justification.
The factual core is accurate: courses were removed. The verdict is "partially true" because the framing omits essential context that would lead to a more balanced understanding of why the Coalition implemented this policy.
Final Score
6.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The Coalition government did remove tertiary courses (specifically dance, theatre, and musical theatre diplomas, plus approximately 475 other courses) from Austudy eligibility in 2017-2018. However, the claim is "partially true" rather than fully true because:
Framing issue: The claim says "tried to reduce" when the government successfully implemented the policy (it wasn't merely an attempt).
Context omission: The claim presents this as an arbitrary education policy without acknowledging that it was a direct response to a massive fraud crisis in the VET FEE-HELP scheme created by Labor, which had cost $1.2 billion and harmed 38,000 students.
Scope ambiguity: The claim could misleadingly suggest a narrow, targeted reduction when approximately 478 courses were removed across multiple categories.
Fairness concern: While the policy was controversial in the arts education community, it was implemented with stated rationale and exceptions for premier institutions, not without justification.
The factual core is accurate: courses were removed. The verdict is "partially true" because the framing omits essential context that would lead to a more balanced understanding of why the Coalition implemented this policy.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (13)
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1
legislation.gov.au
Federal Register of Legislation
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2
dancemagazine.com.au
Dance Informa surfaces some new information regarding the federal government's cuts to financial assistance for diploma level students.
Dance Informa Magazine -
3
servicesaustralia.gov.au
Servicesaustralia Gov
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4
artshub.com.au
Circus arts, acting, stained glass and jewellery-making will no longer be eligible for student loans as the federal government focuses on higher education reforms.
ArtsHub Australia -
5
theconversation.com
Diplomas of circus arts, fraud control, explosive ordinance manufacture, and sound and vibration therapy are among 478 courses that will be excluded from government funding.
The Conversation -
6
anao.gov.au
Anao Gov
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7
theconversation.com
Market forces don’t work well in education. For-profit businesses are more tempted to exploit loopholes than provide quality service.
The Conversation -
8
voced.edu.au
Voced Edu
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9
about.abc.net.au
Information about the Australian Broadcasting Corporation including history, management, corporate reports, plans and submissions and the latest news from our media centre.
About the ABC -
10
abc.net.au
Hack brings you the stories that matter to young people.
triple j -
11
ministers.education.gov.au
Ministers Education Gov
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12
artshub.com.au
The Turnbull Government’s plans to cut the number of tertiary arts courses eligible for student loans from 70 to just 13 have shocked and angered Australian artists and arts workers.
ArtsHub Australia -
13
education.gov.au
Education Gov
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.