June 2026

Australia finalises Horizon Europe treaty, while Universities Australia welcomes the deal as a 'major win' for research and innovation. Meanwhile, Andrew Norton's analysis of self-reported social status finds that bachelor degree holders have seen the steepest decline in their status, with the gap between degree holders and upper vocational qualification holders narrowing to 0.4 points.

Southern Cross University joins the TAFE credit pathway program, offering students up to $17,000 in savings. Visa refusal rates for Nepal and India remain high.

The Australian Tertiary Education Commission assumes its full statutory responsibilities on 1 July, with Professor Barney Glover AO leading as Chief Commissioner. Meanwhile, the government's access legislation remains stalled, and the sector awaits the introduction of new bills targeting university entry for students from low-income and regional backgrounds.

The government's access legislation remains outstanding, and the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) has announced a 12-month pause on new VET/ELICOS provider registrations. The Australian Trade and Investment Growth Scheme (ATIGS) is set to begin operations under Chief Commissioner Professor Barney Glover AO from 1 July.

The Minister for Education, Jason Clare, and the Minister for Early Childhood, Jess Walsh, released Q1 2026 data showing record levels of early childhood compliance. Meanwhile, new access legislation to improve university entry for students from low-income and regional backgrounds has yet to be tabled.

Universities Australia commits to a six-point anti-racism action plan in response to the AHRC's "Respect at Uni" report, which documented a 316% surge in antisemitic incidents from more than 76,000 student and staff accounts. ATEC commissioners confirmed effective 1 July; HECS/HELP indexation applied 1 June with no pre-indexation relief enacted.