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On 6 March 2014, the Senate referred the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Amendment Bill 2014 (Bill) to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 16 June 2014. The Bill seeks to amend the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act) to give effect to the Government's decision to implement recommendations arising from the [2013] Review of Higher Education Regulation. The Bill, which comprises eight parts, aims to increase the efficiency of [Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency] TEQSA and reduce the burden on higher education institutions.

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This Senate inquiry examined the Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014, recommends it be passed, and makes several further recommendations. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on 28 August 2014. On 4 September 2014 the Senate referred the provisions of the bill to the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 28 October 2014. Details of the inquiry were made available on the committee's website. The committee also contacted a number of organisations inviting submissions to the inquiry. Submissions were received from 164 individuals and organisations. The bill seeks to reform higher education in Australia by deregulating fees and extending funding to higher education qualifications below the bachelor degree level, as well as to private universities and non-university higher education providers.

The Committee recommends that: guidelines for the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme seek to address some of the financial barriers faced by students from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds and regional communities in accessing higher education; the government explore the provision of a structural adjustment package to assist certain sections of the higher education sector transition to a fully deregulated system; the government examine Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) indexation measures in light of evidence presented to the Committee, recognising the unforseen impacts of the proposed reforms on students; the government explore avenues to recover HELP debts of Australians residing overseas; and the bill be passed.

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