Education Minister Simon Birmingham indicated he was rethinking all aspects of a package to overhaul higher education that had so far been rejected twice in the Senate.

Wollonong Undergraduate Student Association president Peter Munford said they’ve always stood in opposition to the proposed changes since they were handed down in the 2014 budget, and it was a “big win for students”.

“It’s an entirely unfair change as it’s forcing students to be burdened with almost three decades worth of debt,” he said. “It would not only affect domestic but international students as well.”

The National Tertiary Education Union however released a statement concerned the Turnbull government was in no way abandoning plans to cut funding, claiming the announcement was “a political ploy".

Meantime the University of Wollongong has released a statement welcoming the decision by the educationa minister, stating “UOW welcomes the government’s commitment to consult with the higher education sector on how to meet the challenge of providing Australia with a sustainable, world-class education system with fair access for students – including being open to new ideas and conversations on how to achieve this”.