The university degrees set to more than double in price next year

The cost of an arts degree is set to more than double from next year as part of a massive reform of universities.

Under the plan, fees for mathematics, agriculture, IT and nursing will be slashed in a bid to encourage students to study in jobs with greater employment prospects.

Student contributions for a humanities degree are set to skyrocket from $6804 to $14,500 per year under the overhaul, while nursing will cost just $3700 a year.

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the plan is intended to encourage students to choose more “practical” options during the post-pandemic economic downturn.

“We know we need more teachers, we know we need more nurses, allied health professionals, engineers, people with IT skills, so that’s why we want to incentivise students to look to study in those areas because that’s where the jobs of the future are going to be,” he told Ross and John.

Students who choose to study expensive arts and humanities degrees may cut the cost of their education by choosing elective subjects in priority areas such as  maths, languages or IT.

“If you’re going to do an arts degree, if you do a unit with IT, if you do a unit with maths, if you study a language throughout that arts degree, that;s going to make you more employable,” Mr Tehan said.

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