Higher Education Research Project

This project examines the impact of the HECS-HELP loan scheme and associated policy changes on incentives to participate in higher education and engage in the labour market.

This project aims to provide specialist modelling capacity to the Department to assist in four related areas:

• Impact of HELP on student behaviour - this project is to examine the impact of HELP on student behaviour and life choices after higher education.
• Private benefits of higher education - the project will examine the private returns from higher education for both graduates, and for those who attrite, with a focus on factors other than income.
• Drivers of university enrolments - examines the factors that influence universities’ decisions to supply Commonwealth Supported Places to domestic students.

HELP debt not expected to be repaid – the project explores the characteristics of individuals who will not repay their HELP debt, and will also analyse the impact of higher education reforms on loan repayments.

The research involves specialist social and economic modelling and analysis utilising the Department's own datasets and a variety of other external sources. Models include financial models, regression models and microsimulation models, and the datasets are brought together using probabilistic methods. The project will also assist in building the Department’s own data and analytics capability and facilitate the transfer of knowledge.