Universities Australia's modelling estimates higher education institutions are set to lose between $3.1 billion and $4.8 billion in revenue this year alone.
Professor Frank Larkins, former Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Melbourne says Monash, RMIT, UTS, La Trobe, Central Queensland, Southern Cross, and Canberra universities are most at risk, with all but La Trobe generating more than 30 per cent of their revenue from international student fees.
"If a university was to lose the research income from overseas students, that we predict, and it's, it's basically 40 per cent of the income across this whole year"
Professor Larkins says universities will have to take drastic action to cut their annual expenses if they are to balance their budgets, including reviewing the number of courses on offer and assessing the viability of multiple campuses.
Deakin University is one of the educational institutions planning for hundreds of redundancies. Catriona Jackson says universities are looking at cuts to jobs as an absolute last resort.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Find out what restrictions are in place for your state or territory.
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at http://www.sbs.com.au/coronavirus
