Deakin University freezes 2014 fees for post-budget certainty

Professor den Hollander said Deakin's University Executive made the decision on Friday in response to the Federal Government's move to lift caps on tuition fees for students accepting an offer from 14 May, the day after the Budget.

"Deakin is committed to providing educational opportunities for all," Professor den Hollander said.

"We recognise that in this time of change we need to provide certainty for those seeking to further their education or who are being put off by the turmoil of the Budget discussion.

"It does not seem fair that those students who enroll at Deakin the day after the Budget will have different conditions than those who enrolled the day before the Budget.

"All of our students deserve to have a clear understanding of the costs of their degree and studies. In order to study well, they should not be anxious or constantly checking what their fees might be in 2016.

"Deakin runs a very efficient trimester system with an early July start date for Trimester 2. Since the debate around the impact of the Budget will not be resolved by the time our students need to enrol we must, as we always strive to do, act in their best interests.

"Deakin is therefore offering students who start their studies in Trimester Two the identical fee conditions as their classmates who began in Trimester One.

"We will treat the class of 2014 as one cohort, with the same (pre-budget) fees, for the duration of their undergraduate studies. To do otherwise would be unfair.

"This means that our 2014 students will not face a large price increase in 2016 when the new system is scheduled to begin.

"This fee guarantee provides our new students with clarity, allows them to plan financially for their future and sets them up for a positive learning experience.

"We are prepared to absorb this cost to ensure a fair go and certainty for our students who should not be disadvantaged by a random date in the middle of May.

"We believe this a fair and equitable approach to delivering on Deakin's response while waiting for confirmation of the Federal Budget. It also gives the University the time we need to make sensible decisions about what our future strategy must be as we deal with the Government cuts."