This follows a Fairfax Media report in early August which revealed universities stood to lose $1.2 billion in funding cuts under the proposal.

‘’The Government’s own Higher Reform Package document dated May 2017, confirmed that, compared to current policy, UOW would experience a funding cut of 2.8 per cent per annum by 2021, which equates to a reduction of $8.8 million per annum. Over the forward estimates, this amounts to a total funding cut of $25.2 million,’’ the UOW spokesperson said.

Figures obtained by the Mercury reveal that UOW would receive a funding increase of 14 per cent, with the university’s funding rising from $267.2 million in 2017 to $304.2 million in 2021.

‘’These latest figures released by the [Simon Birmingham] Minister’s office assume very ambitious hypothetical growth in student numbers based on the university’s past success, together with indexation for inflation,’’ the UOW spokesperson said.

‘’UOW is not assuming this level of growth in student numbers in its forward financial planning.’’

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said ‘’taxpayer funding for universities has been a river of gold, growing at twice the rate of the economy since 2009’’.

‘’If you look at the whole effect of our reforms, our funding for universities actually increases by 23 per cent,’’ Minister Birmingham said.

He said only a few years ago universities had successfully operated with far fewer students and less government funding per student.