On this page

• Announcements
• Background
• Program Overview
• Component A – Participation
• Component B – Partnerships
• 2011 Competitive Grants Process
• 2012 Competitive Grants Process
• Reporting
• Statistics
• Contacts

Announcements

The Australian Government announced the successful HEPPP Partnerships Round 1 projects on 15 December 2011. In total, eleven projects were approved for funding across higher education
sector totalling $67.096 million. The successful projects are listed in tables below.

Background

The Australian Government is committed to enabling social inclusion by building a stronger, fairer nation in which every Australian with the ability to participate in community life is afforded the opportunity to do so. It is about widening and deepening the participation of, and engagement in, community life by Australians of all backgrounds. Higher education is integral to achieving the Government’s vision of a stronger and fairer Australia.

In order to achieve greater national productivity as well as encourage social cohesion, Australia must break down the barriers that have led to an ongoing under-representation in higher education of students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds.

The proportion of students from low SES backgrounds enrolled in higher education has remained static at about 15 per cent over the last two decades, although this group makes up some 25 per cent of the broader population. In contrast, students from affluent backgrounds are three times more likely to attend university than students from low SES backgrounds.

To address Australia’s historically poor record of increasing the participation of people from low SES backgrounds in higher education, the Australian Government announced in its 2009-2010 Budget an ambition for 20 per cent of higher education enrolments at the undergraduate level to be from people of a low SES background by 2020.

The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program was established in 2010 with the aim of achieving this ambition, and replaces the former Higher Education Equity Support Program.

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Program Overview

The Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) aims to ensure that Australians from low SES backgrounds who have the ability to study at university get the opportunity to do so.

The HEPPP provides funding to eligible universities to undertake activities and implement strategies that improve access to undergraduate courses for people from low SES backgrounds, as well as improving the retention and completion rates of those students.

In addition, the HEPPP aims to assist eligible universities to meet the Australian Government’s ambition that 20 per cent of domestic undergraduate students will be from low SES backgrounds by 2020.

The HEPPP consists of two components

• a participation component, with the objective of increasing the participation of domestic students from low SES backgrounds in accredited undergraduate qualifications, and supporting the retention and success of those students, and
• a partnership component, with the objective of building the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education through collaborative activities with stakeholders, such as State and Territory governments, schools, VET providers, and community organisations.

The total amount of funds available for allocation under the HEPPP are

In 2010 the funding was approximately 2 per cent of teaching and learning grants, and increased to about 3 per cent in 2011. By 2012, equity funding will be brought broadly into line with the recommendation of the Bradley Review to increase it to 4 per cent of teaching and learning grants.

The legislative basis for the HEPPP is provided by the

• Higher Education Support Act 2003
• Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2010

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Component A - Participation

The Participation component of HEPPP provides a financial incentive to universities to increase the participation of domestic students from low SES backgrounds in accredited undergraduate qualifications, and support the retention and success of those students.

The types of Participation activities that an eligible university can undertake to support current and prospective students from low SES backgrounds may include

• developing and implementing appropriate support services and programs for students from low SES backgrounds, such as
• inclusive entry processes
• transition programs to support cultural and geographical issues of inclusion
• modifications to teaching delivery and learning methods to better meet the needs of students from a low SES background
• mentoring, peer support, tutoring and continued academic support
• offering institutional equity scholarships targeted at students from low SES backgrounds
• undertaking research, and monitoring the impact and effectiveness of activities aimed at improving the participation of students from low SES backgrounds in higher education
• developing and implementing partnership activities for the purpose of building the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education.

Under this Component, eligible universities receive funds based on their respective share of the indicator of domestic undergraduate students from low SES backgrounds, taking into account home addresses in the lowest quartile of the SEIFA Education and Occupation Index and the number of students who meet relevant income support payment criteria

Participation funding allocated to each university can be shown in the following spreadsheet

• 2010-2011 HEPPP Participation Allocations ( XLSX 12KB | CSV 3KB)

The National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) is a research centre hosted by the University of South Australia, which receives approximately $600 000 of Participation funding each year. The work of the NCSEHE informs student equity policy and practice in Australian higher education through a research program informed by the themes of aspiration, mobility and voice. Further information about the NCSEHE can be found at equity101.

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Component B - Partnerships

The Partnerships component of HEPPP provides funding to universities to develop partnerships and outreach activities with schools, VET providers, community groups, and State and Territory governments to build the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education. These initiatives are intended to ensure a coordinated approach to concentrating resources to most effectively target low SES communities where aspirations to enter higher education are low and where matriculation to universities is poor.

The types of Partnerships activities that an eligible university can undertake to build the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds may include

• assisting in improving the understanding and awareness of higher education as a viable post-school option
• assisting in pre-tertiary achievement, either at school or via an alternative pathway, to enable consideration for access to higher education
• encouraging an increase in the proportion of people from low SES backgrounds who apply for attendance at a university
• supporting people from low SES backgrounds in linking with higher education providers.

Under this component, each university received baseline funding of $355 505 each year in 2010 and 2011, and will receive a further $250 000 each year from 2012 to 2014. The remaining Partnerships funding will be distributed through a competitive grants process, as shown below

It is anticipated that, depending on the strength of proposals, funding allocations for the competitive grants process will be distributed in two rounds as follows

• Round 1 will allocate approximately $15 million each year from  2011 to 2014
• Round 2 will allocate approximately $20 million each year from 2012 to 2014.

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2011 Competitive Grants Process

The Partnerships competitive grant process is the next stage in the implementation of the HEPPP. It provides an opportunity for universities to develop and implement innovative strategies aimed at increasing the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education.  It builds on Partnerships baseline funding and offers an incentive to those universities or consortia with the strongest proposals.

The proposed funding for Round 1 of the Partnerships competitive grants process is about $60 million, allocating approximately $15 million each year from 2011 to 2014.

Round 1 of the competitive grants process opened on Friday 8 July 2011, and universities and consortia are now welcome to submit applications for funding under the Partnerships component of HEPPP.

In addition to Chapter 1 of the Other Grants Guidelines (Education) 2010, the following documentation has been provided to assist universities in preparing grant proposals

• Administrative Instructions for Providers ( PDF 643KB | RTF 323KB) 
• 2011 Partnerships Application Form ( PDF 60KB |  RTF 211KB)

Applications must meet the requirements stipulated in the Administrative Information for Providers, and must be submitted on the Application Form. 

Applications close 5.00 pm EST Friday 2 September 2011.

Applications must be submitted in Microsoft Word compatible format to equity@deewr.gov.au by the closing date, and signed hardcopies must be posted to

HEPPP Program Manager
Equity & Indigenous Programs Unit
Higher Education Group
Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA  ACT  2601

The assessment process for proposals is expected to take approximately 5 weeks from the closing date, and will be assessed against the following criteria

• Overall Strength of the Proposal
• Demonstrate the need for the proposed initiative, including how the proposal will address the low SES priorities in the region
• Demonstrate the extent to which the proposed initiative is likely to build the aspirations and capacity of people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education.
• Describe the strength and capacity of the partnership arrangements.
• Provide the evidence base for proposed program outcomes, associated measures and proposed tracking mechanisms.
• Appropriateness
• Demonstrate how the proposed initiative aligns with the university’s equity planning in relation to widening participation of people from low SES backgrounds in higher education.
• Demonstrate how the proposed initiative is tailored toward the particular characteristics of low SES communities in the region, for example regional and remote, Indigenous, single parents, etc.
• Demonstrate how the proposal complements, rather than duplicates, similar initiatives in the region.
• Sustainability
• Demonstrate the extent to which the proposed initiative and/or the partnership arrangements will continue to produce positive outcomes for people from low SES backgrounds to participate in higher education beyond the funding period.
• Feasibility
• Describe the key deliverables and milestones of the proposed initiative throughout the development, implementation and ongoing management of the initiative.
• Describe the key performance indicators of the proposed initiative, including qualitative and quantitative data sources.
• Provide a risk Management Strategy that describes the pertinent risks of the proposed initiative and appropriate mitigation strategies to address them.
• Outline a reasonable budget for the proposed initiative that represents value for money.

For further information concerning Round 1 of the Partnerships competitive grants process, please contact the Department at equity@deewr.gov.au

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2012 Competitive Grants Process

The second round of the competitive grants process offers a further $60 million to eligible universities and consortia for Partnerships activities, allocating approximately $20 million each year from 2012 to 2014.

The Department is planning to invite submissions from eligible universities and consortia in late January 2012.

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Reporting

The primary purpose of universities Reporting on their Participation and Partnerships activities is to understand how HEPPP funding is being utilised in achieving the Australian Government's ambition of achieving 20 per cent of higher education enrolments coming from a low SES background by 2020. It will also satisfy Departmental and university accountability requirements for the expenditure of public monies. 

The information obtained from university reports on HEPPP activities will also be used to

• assist in preparing the Institutional Performance Portfolio statements,
• inform the Australian Government’s triennial Compact discussions with universities and the annual review of individual Compact Agreements, and
• contribute to the evaluation of HEPPP.

On 31 January 2011 the Department wrote to universities and peak bodies seeking comments on a draft reporting pro forma for the HEPPP. Over 20 submissions were received, and from the feedback and accompanying recommendations, significant amendments have been made to the pro forma to reduce the administrative burden on universities. 

The pro forma for universities to report on their 2010 HEPPP activities is available at the following link

• 2010 HEPPP Reporting Pro Forma ( PDF 525KB |  DOC 124KB)

2010 HEPPP reports must be submitted in Microsoft Word compatible format to equity@deewr.gov.au by 5.00 pm EST Monday 1 August 2011, and signed hardcopies must be posted to

HEPPP Program Manager
Equity & Indigenous Programs Unit
Higher Education Group
Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA  ACT  2601

For further information concerning reporting on 2010 HEPPP activities, please contact the Department at equity@deewr.gov.au.

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Statistics

Student equity data can be found at the following links

• Higher Education Statistics Publications
• Institutional Student Equity Performance Data 2008
• The 2010 interim measure of students from low SES enrolments and its two components at the university level ( PDF 209KB | RTF 218KB)
•  The 2009 interim measure of students from low SES enrolments and its two components at the university level ( PDF 255KB | RTF 263KB)

Contacts

For further information, please contact the Department at equity@deewr.gov.au.

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