Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education
Edited by Brendan Cantwell, Hamish Coates and Roger King
Chapter 14: The political economy of the Higher Education Contribution Scheme
Bruce Chapman and Timothy Hicks
Abstract
In 1989 the Australian government adopted the world’s first national income contingent student loan (ICL) system, then known as the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). HECS constituted a radical economic policy reform, with the critical element being that it was the first national ICL. This chapter documents and analyses issues that are important to understanding the political and policy environment of this financing reform. A critical motivating factor for the chapter is that closely related versions of HECS have now been implemented in around eight other countries, and such systems look set to be adopted in several others very soon. Lessons from years ago in Australia are highly relevant to perceptions of political reform well beyond this experience.
You are not authenticated to view the full text of this chapter or article.
Elgaronline requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books or journals. Please login through your library system or with your personal username and password on the homepage.
Non-subscribers can freely search the site, view abstracts/ extracts and download selected front matter and introductory chapters for personal use.
Your library may not have purchased all subject areas. If you are authenticated and think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.