The Government is using a carrot-and-stick approach to funnel students into the industries it believes will drive job growth.
How fees will change:
Agriculture and maths degrees: 62pc decrease
Teaching, nursing, clinical psychology, English and languages degrees: 46pc decrease
Science, health, architecture, environmental science, IT and engineering degrees: 20pc decrease
Medicine, dental and veterinary science degrees: no change
Law and commerce degrees: 28pc increase
Humanities degrees: 113 per cent increase
Subjects in nursing, psychology, English, languages, teaching, agriculture, maths, science, health, environmental science and architecture will be cheaper. The Government will increase its contribution to the cost of these classes, so students can expect to pay between $3,700 and $7,700 per year.
However, students enrolling to study law and commerce will have fees raised by 28 per cent.
For humanities courses, fees will more than double, putting them alongside law and commerce in the highest price band of $14,500 a year.
Critics of Australian universities decry their increasingly business-oriented focus, and this policy shift will add to those concerns.
Humanities staff will also worry about job security as a $45,000 arts degree will likely see some students change their plans.
How much students can expect to pay:
Band Discipline Annual cost
1 Teaching, clinical psychology, English, maths, nursing, languages, agriculture $3,700
2 Allied health, other health, architecture, IT, creative arts, engineering, environmental studies, science $7,700
3 Medical, dental, veterinary science $11,300
4 Law & economics, management & commerce, society & culture, humanities, communications, behavioural science $14,500
