University of New England vice-chancellor Jim Barber has called on the Federal Government to consider reducing HECS charges for students at regional universities in the event of price deregulation.

 

Professor Barber has backed calls for deregulating price caps on students if the Federal Government was to allow for lower HECS costs.

 

"I am saying, go for it, provided regional university degrees were made cheaper for students through HECS reductions." Professor Barber told The Australian.

 

Professor Barber warned that if HECS tax concessions were not offered to students, it was more than possible that a number of regional universities could close in the face of overwhelming competition from metropolitan universities.

 

Professor Barber has publicly called for the creation of a regional higher education policy to offset advantages enjoyed by metropolitan counterparts.