Biggest demand for WA universities in a decade

24/1/04 The number of people applying to study at Western Australia's public universities has reached its highest level in a decade.

24/1/04
The number of people applying to study at Western Australia's public universities has reached its highest level in a decade.
Education and Training Minister Alan Carpenter said TISC* records showed that 22,395 first preference full-time applications were lodged at the State's four public universities - Curtin, Edith Cowan and Murdoch universities and the University of WA in 2004.
"This record number is close to a 30 per cent rise from 2000-01 under the Court Government, when 17,543 people applied for full-time university," Mr Carpenter said. (See graph following.)
The Minister said that of the 2004 applications, only 15,132 people had received their first preference offers in the first round.
"I am very concerned that hundreds of students will miss out on studying at university if the Howard Government fails to increase the number of places available at public universities in WA," he said.
"These figures show the demand for university places in WA far outstrips the actual places that are available."
Mr Carpenter said inadequate Commonwealth funding for university places had made getting into WA universities even more difficult because it had pushed up course cut-off scores.
"The shortage of university places in WA has resulted in our universities having some of the highest university cut-off scores in Australia," he said.
Mr Carpenter has formally asked Federal Education Minister Dr Brendan Nelson for more than 27 per cent - an additional 6,800 places - of the Commonwealth's 25,000 new funded places for 2005 to 2008.
"We have a rapid population growth in this State and we need to be able to meet the rising demand," he said.
"These additional places are essential in helping to meet the State's growing demand for university entrance.
"Dr Nelson has said in the past that WA is in need of more university places across the State and that the State Government has a good university funding model.
"He must now deliver."
*Tertiary Institutions Service Centre.
Minister's office: 9213 6800