University entry was the hardest it’s ever been this year. Next year will be worse

Getting into university in Sydney next year will be the toughest it’s ever been under a controversial new funding arrangement that critics say will severely limit places in the city, kneecap institutions and fail to increase access for poor students.

University entry was the hardest it’s ever been this year. Next year will be worse. Getting into university in Sydney next year will be the toughest it’s ever been under a controversial new funding arrangement that critics say will severely limit places in the city, kneecap institutions and fail to increase access for poor students. The new regime, called managed growth funding, effectively caps the number of domestic students admitted to each university and replaces the demand-driven funding introduced by the Gillard government that put student choice at the heart of university admissions. This means some students will be pushed out of universities in Sydney, leaving them to either study elsewhere or abandon tertiary education. James Schofield, 18, is keen to study nutrition science after his HSC. “Managed growth ... hopes to divert enro...