How VET FEE-HELP debt went from costing taxpayers $325m to $3b

By Kelsey Munro
Updated August 16 2016 - 2:14pm, first published July 23 2016 - 12:15am
Karen Andrews is the fourth vocational education minister in the past year.  Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Karen Andrews is the fourth vocational education minister in the past year. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
Former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan says no such unit existed when he was deputy to prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. Photo: Stefan Postles
Former Labor treasurer Wayne Swan says no such unit existed when he was deputy to prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd. Photo: Stefan Postles
Education Minister Simon Birmingham. Photo: Louise Kennerley
Education Minister Simon Birmingham. Photo: Louise Kennerley

The federal government was warned as early as 2012 that unscrupulous providers were rorting the vocational education loans scheme and that there were no safeguards to protect against the abuse of vulnerable students, blowing the scheme out from $325 million to $3 billion in less than three years.

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