2022–23 October Budget

Early Childhood

• $4.5 billion to increase Child Care Subsidy (CCS) rates from July 2023, protect the CCS against fraud and non-compliance, and provide a base level of 36 hours of subsidised early education and care per fortnight for First Nations children.
• $10.8 million to fund an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into early childhood education and care prices.
• $10.2 million to establish a partnership between Australian governments and First Nations representatives to develop community-led policies and programs.

Youth

• $10.5 million for a new Youth Engagement Model including the establishment of an Office for Youth, ongoing funding for Australia’s national youth peak – the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, issue-based youth advisory groups and the development of a Youth Engagement Strategy.

Schools

• $270.8 million over two years to upgrade school infrastructure.
• $56.2 million for bursaries to attract more high-achievers into teaching.
• $68.3 million to expand the High Achieving Teachers (HAT) program.
• $27.6 million for other measures to tackle teacher shortages and better prepare student teachers for the classroom.
• $203.7 million to help improve the mental health and wellbeing of students after COVID.
• $83.5 million to support schools to provide evidence-based, age-appropriate respectful relationships education developed by experts implementing a recommendation of the Respect@Work Report.
• $14.1 million to a plan to teach First Nations languages in primary schools.

Higher Education

• $485.5 million over the forward estimates to provide up to 20,000 additional university places. 
• $2.7 million to develop the Australian Universities Accord.
• $15.4 million in a Startup Year program to help university students turn their ideas into reality.
• A saving of $144.1 million by ending the 10% discount given to students who make an upfront payment to their HECS-HELP loans.

* This figure is the net cost of the measures in the Cheaper Child Care Bill. The Budget Papers refer to an investment of $4.7 billion, which includes all new spending measures on early education and care. It does not include savings from measures to increase integrity.