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Federation University welcomes the passage of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission legislation

1 April 2026
The Australian Tertiary Education Commission's establishment is a historic opportunity to build a more diverse, sustainable, accessible and valuable post-secondary education system for Australia's regional and outer-suburban communities.   

Federation University Australia welcomes the passage of legislation to establish the Australian Tertiary Education Commission.

The ATEC's establishment is a historic opportunity to build a more diverse, sustainable, accessible and valuable post-secondary education system for Australia's regional and outer-suburban communities.

Serving communities in Ballarat, Berwick, Gippsland and the Wimmera, Federation is ranked number one in Australia for first-in-family students – with 60 per cent of our learners from under-represented backgrounds.

We will apply this experience with the ATEC to establish a mission-based compact for our community that: 

  • offers this important cohort of Victorian students greater access to local post-secondary education, aligned to the needs of local employers
  • addresses the regional domestic student funding and international education policy settings challenging smaller universities. 
    Federation strongly supported the swift passage of this landmark reform when it was introduced in late 2025.  

We welcomed the opportunity to provide suggested improvements to the legislation, and acknowledge the Minister for Education, the Hon Jason Clare MP, and Senators in adopting timely changes to the ATEC’s legislation. 

These improvements will ensure the ATEC has the capacity to consider the unique needs of smaller universities and their communities. 

Federation remains committed to securing and delivering stronger outcomes for local learners in Ballarat, Berwick, Gippsland and the Wimmera through the Commonwealth Government’s Universities Accord reforms.