To the Honourable the President and Members of the Senate in Parliament assembled: The humble petition of the undersigned citizens of Australia respectfully showeth:

That we are opposed to any moves to cut funding to universities. We believe that funding cuts to universities can only be to the detriment of an educated and democratic society. We believe that a broadly accessible and liberating higher education system is fundamental to efforts at creating a more just and equitable society.

In particular we are opposed to any attempts to:

   introduce up front fees for any students, including any attempt to allow universities to charge up front fees to students enrolled in excess of Commonwealth funded quotas;

   increase the level of debt incurred by students through the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS);

   lower the level at which HECS debts must be repaid through the taxation system;

   replace the grant based component of the AUSTUDY/ABSTUDY scheme with a loans scheme;

   expand the loans component of AUSTUDY/ ABSTUDY;

   cut funding on a per student basis, in particular operating grants; and

   cut the number of Commonwealth funded places already in the system or promised during the previous Parliament.

Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that you will not cut funding to universities or increase the financial burden on current or future students by raising fees or reducing access to financial assistance. We call on the Parliament to at least maintain current funding to higher education with a view to increase funding per student and the number of student places available in the remainder of the thirty-eighth parliament.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.