Deep Dive: Low SES university law enrolments drop nearly 20% as Pocock urges scrapping Morrison's Job Ready Graduates scheme

Australia's Job Ready Graduates scheme, introduced in 2021 by the Liberal government under Scott Morrison, aimed to steer students toward degrees in national priority areas like science and mathematics by reducing their fees by up to 59%, while significantly increasing costs for arts degrees to over $50,000. This policy shift has coincided with a 10% drop in new enrolments from low socioeconomic status (SES) students between 2020 and 2024, with law programs seeing nearly 20% fewer such students. Independent Senator David Pocock has highlighted how this creates a segregated higher education system, limiting access for disadvantaged groups to high-status fields like law. Historically, Australian higher education policy has oscillated between expanding access and aligning education with labor market needs, but the JRG scheme's fee differentiation has exacerbated inequities rooted in Australia's class-divided society, where low SES students often come from regional or migrant backgrounds with limited financial buffers. Key actors include the former Liberal government, which prioritized STEM incentives, current critics like Pocock representing crossbench voices pushing for equity, and universities navigating funding pressures. Experts note the scheme's unintended consequence of deterring the diverse talent higher education should serve, potentially entrenching social divides. Cross-border implications are limited but notable in the Asia-Pacific context, where Australia's education sector attracts international students funding domestic programs; reduced diversity could harm its reputation as an inclusive destination, affecting migration and soft power. Stakeholders like low SES families face steeper barriers to social mobility, while industries reliant on legal expertise may see diminished talent pipelines from underrepresented groups. The outlook hinges on political shifts, with calls to scrap the scheme signaling potential Labor government reforms amid broader debates on education equity. This development underscores tensions between economic pragmatism and social justice in education policy, with nuanced effects varying by discipline—STEM gains enrolment boosts at arts' expense, but overall access for low SES students suffers, challenging Australia's meritocratic ideals.