What is #StudentsLikeUs Campaign?
Refugees with permanent and temporary immigration protection have different entitlements, effectively preventing potentially thousands of refugees from accessing Australian higher education. While people who arrive via the offshore humanitarian program are given permanent residency and subsequent access to the full suite of humanitarian supports, as well as access to both Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) and the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), people who seek asylum on arrival in Australia are placed on Bridging Visas (BVs) and offered no more than temporary protection if found to be a refugee. The temporariness of their protection status means limited access to humanitarian settlement supports and public education, thereby compounding the vulnerabilities they experience and creating a roadblock to their full participation in Australian society.
#StudentsLikeUs seeks to highlight the injustice of two tiers of protection with regard to what it means for educational access, participation and success.
This campaign aims to influence higher education sector policy and practice with regard to access for Refugees on Temporary Protection (RTP) and BV holders. We want to inform policy and practice with
- Universities Australia (Australian higher education’s peak body);
- publicly-funded universities; and
- the general public.
We will also seek to inform state government policy with regard to access to TAFE, and federal policy with regard to ending the arbitrary barriers resulting from temporary protection.
#StudentsLikeUs argues that all universities across Australia should
- offer study packages (fee-waiver scholarships, stipends, supports, work opportunities) to RTP and BV holders;
- coordinate their responses to make it easier for students to apply to study;
- design, implement and continuously improve targeted supports and services to RTP focused on participation, success and transition out of their studies through case management support, and the development of clear pathways to subsidised tertiary education (TAFE and HE).
The campaign will also encourage Universities Australia
1) to commit to a public statement in support of RTP;
2) urge public universities to report on refugee student participation; and
3) advocate that the federal government (specifically the Department of Education and Training) change the legislation in the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) to recognise RTP as domestic students.
#StudentsLikeUs will seek to raise awareness through our student, staff and alumni networks, and with a public campaign that highlights the unfairness caused by government policy, the impact on affected students, and the role of universities in responding to this situation.
In addition to raising awareness and encouraging
various forms of participation in the messaging and campaigning, we will also
encourage members of the public to raise funds to support RTP who are currently
studying in tertiary education through the accompanying Living Support Fund.
This campaign will continue for as long as RTP
are effectively locked out of accessing affordable higher education and for as
long as the temporary protection policy persists.
| Target | Vision | Purpose | Goal | Schedule | Responsibility |
| Individual universities | For every public university to offer a series of study packages to RTP and BV holders | To ensure that all public universities are offering opportunities to RTP and BV holders, and that admissions processes are nationally consistent and supported. | For all 38 public universities to offer scholarships For a standardised admissions procedure and timetable to be agreed upon by all public universities | From 2021 From 2021 | RESIG |
| For all public universities to report on the numbers of refugee students (including permanent protection holders, RTP, BV holders): applicants, enrolments, attrition and retention and achievement | To gather more accurate publicly-available data on the numbers of students who are: seeking access to HEaccessing HEsucceeding in HE | For all 38 public universities to report on refugee students For these data to be compiled and an annual report published by the RESIG on these trends | From mid-2020 From 2021 | RESIG | |
| Universities Australia | To commit to a public statement in support of all public universities providing support to both RTP and BVs while the current policy exists. | To demonstrate leadership; to encourage all public universities to offer study packages to RTP and BV holder students | To secure a commitment to writing to each public university to strongly encourage the development of study packages for RTP and BV holders | 2020 | |
| To commit to a public statement in support of shifting RTP to CSPs and to have access to HELP | To demonstrate courage and leadership | To secure a statement in support of the policy shift to recognise RTP as domestic students, thus able to access CSP and HELP. | 2020 | ||
| To encourage public universities to report on refugee student participation (including permanent protection holders, RTP and BVs). | To write to each public university to strongly encourage them to report on refugee student enrolment data | To secure a commitment to writing to each public university to strongly encourage the collection of data on refugee students | 2020 | ||
| Federal government | To advocate for legislative change to include RTP as domestic students, eligible for CSP and HECS, on the basis that they have refugee status. | To stop the inequitable and arbitrary distinction between refugees on permanent and temporary protection, which creates educational disadvantage. | 2022 | ||
| To advocate for RTP and BV holders to have access to 510 hours of AMEP as per permanent refugees | 2020 | ||||
| State governments | To advocate for all state governments to offer subsidised TAFE education to RTP and BV holders. | To ensure that each state is offering vocational education and language tuition (where possible) opportunities to RTP and BV holders. | For each state to offer subsidised TAFE education to RTP and BV holders | 2020 | |
| Public audience | To share information about the distinction made between permanent refugees and RTP, with regard to educational access | To raise awareness of the unfairness caused by temporary protection with regard to access to education | To encourage participation in the campaign (sharing, signing participation, taking an active role in the campaign)To write to individual universities (as alumni, current staff/ students, community members) to express concern | 2020 Mid-2020 | |
| To promote the Living Support Fund | To encourage donations/ fundraising for the Living Support Fund | To raise money for the Living Support Fund to offer a weekly stipend and annual travel card for RTP/ BV holders in need | 2020 |