La Trobe University welcomes the certainty provided today about international student commencements in 2025 and the removal of Ministerial Direction 107. This will enable La Trobe to help the Government realise the ambitions set out in the Universities Accord.
La Trobe supports transparent and proportionate measures to ensure the managed and sustainable growth of international students in Australia. We recognise that there is broad political and community support to reduce net migration levels.
La Trobe has been disproportionately impacted by the student visa processing arrangements stemming from Ministerial Direction 107, which have undermined our mission to raise participation in higher education, including in regional Victorian communities, and contribute to national skills shortages, such as in health and education. This is despite our active plans to develop greater capacity in student accommodation, most recently in Bendigo.
We look forward to welcoming international students across our campus network in 2025, who play such a significant role in our local communities and economies across Victoria.
Professor Theo Farrell, Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University