The Australian Greens would cease taxpayer money being poured into the broken for-profit VET sector and fund a $400 million TAFE rescue package to ensure investment goes to where it is needed most: helping provide Australians with the opportunity to further their education and increase their skills in the workforce.

The Greens are proud defenders of a strong TAFE system. To help provide the high-level skills and workforce development that is vital to our economic future the Greens will:

Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon commenting on the latest scandal involving a private Sydney based college ripping off vulnerable young people, said similar abuses will continue as long as for-profit companies are given public money to run vocational education and training courses.

"Low integrity companies, like Unique International, get away with misusing public money because the current system does not put the needs of students and employers first," Senator Rhiannon said.

Commenting on the Turnbull government's decision to shelve university deregulation Australian Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon said:

"This is a huge win for thousands of NSW staff, students, their families and unions who ran a fierce and formidable campaign for many months against the Liberal-National government's deregulation agenda.

"Any future government should think twice the next time they try to rip billions from public universities, give millions to private education providers and introduce $100,000 degrees.

Commenting on Sydney University Vice Chancellor Michael Spence’s plan for students who benefit from subsidised places to pay more for a degree, Greens NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon said: 

“VC Spence’s plan would lead to a new elite within universities and risks the development of subprime degrees.

“Just as it appeared that the university sector could shake off the destructive and time-wasting deregulation debate Mr Spence is back pushing a plan to load the cost burden onto students.

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (10:08): The Greens support the Higher Education Support Amendment (New Zealand Citizens) Bill 2015. It brings some equity to the loan scheme, which is obviously problematic in itself, but fairness always needs to be striven for. It removes the unfair treatment of long-term residents of Australia who, just because of where they were born-in New Zealand-are New Zealand citizens.

Outgoing Australian Greens spokesperson for higher education, Senator Lee Rhiannon said:

"It has been an honour to advocate Greens policy on tertiary, technical and further education for the past five years.

"From working with students and staff to successfully defeat the Coalition government's attempts to wreck our public universities, to fighting on behalf of TAFE across the country, I have been proud to put forward the Greens' vision on high quality, public and free education.

The Australian Greens are calling on the Abbott government to stop jeopardising the future of public education after reports that universities are bracing for a further 10 percent cut to research funding.

Greens spokesperson for tertiary, technical and further education said: "Yesterday's news was that the Abbott government may go ahead with its 20 per cent cut to university funding despite the legislation being blocked, and today it's the 10 per cent cut to the Research Training Scheme.

Commenting on news reports that the Education Department has advised at least one university that the Abbott government's 20 per cent cut to universities will go ahead in 2016, despite legislation failing to pass the Senate, Greens spokesperson for Tertiary, technical and further education said:

"The Abbott government should immediately rule out cutting funding to universities given the legislation has failed to pass Parliament twice.

The Australian Greens have called on the federal Minister for Education to immediately rule out any plans to restrict so-called "below standard" universities from accessing research funding.

"High quality, accessible public higher education and research is absolutely vital to ensuring Australia has a secure, jobs-rich economic future," Greens spokesperson for tertiary, technical and further education Senator Lee Rhiannon said.