Structural Adjustment Fund

The Australian Government is providing funding of $377.2 million for projects to assist universities to prepare for the new operational requirements of a demand driven funding system with new quality measures in place. This funding includes $200 million from the Education Investment Fund (EIF) earmarked for capital investments.

The priority of the Structural Adjustment Fund (SAF) is to assist universities that may otherwise struggle in the new student demand driven system to be introduced this year. The challenges are likely to be particularly acute for universities serving regional and outer metropolitan areas.

The fund is intended to assist those universities to make changes necessary to establish longer term financial stability and to ensure that all students have access to a high quality teaching and learning experience.

SAF funding

On 8 June 2010, the Australian Government announced grants of up to $8.88 millioni over three years to support a higher education partnership between the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and Charles Darwin University. For more details see Media Release.
On 9 March 2011, the Minister announced that Edith Cowan University would receive $6.9 million under SAF. For more details see Media Release.
On 7 December 2011, the Minster announced that a further 11 universities had been successful under SAF for the projects below. For more details, see Media Release.

University	Project	SAF funding	Media Release
Central Queensland University	Dual-Sector University	$73.8m	CQU SAF Media Release
University of Southern Queensland	Expanding and Enriching Student Participation	$48.9m	USQ SAF Media Release
University of New England	UNE Transformation	$36.6m	UNE SAF Media Release
Southern Cross University	Partners for the Future	$32.2m	SCU SAF Media Release
University of Western Sydney	Collaborative Learning Network	$29.8m	UWS SAF Media Release
University of Canberra	Responding to Demand-Driven Funding’ project.	$25.9m	UC SAF Media Release
University of Ballarat	Victorian Regional Dual-Sector University Partnership	$24.8m	UB SAF Media Relelase
University of the Sunshine Coast	Collaborative Futures Project	$24m	USC SAF Media Release
Victoria University	Interprofessional Education in Health: Class, Clinic, and Career’	$22.9m	VU SAF Media Release
Charles Sturt University	Regional University Centres	$22.4m	CSU SAF Media Release
Charles Darwin University	Flexible delivery for sustainable operation in a demand-driven environment	$20m	CDU SAF Media Release

Contact

Email: SAF@deewr.gov.au.

Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

Structural Adjustment Fund