Share on Twitter The bleak picture for universities could worsen after the 2021 Budget suggested international borders won't reopen until mid-2022. Before the pandemic, international education was Australia’s third-largest export industry, worth about A$40 billion a year to the wider economy. “Governments across all jurisdictions need to come together with universities to develop a robust plan for the safe return of international students,” Universities Australia’s Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said in a press release. “The plan would mean the careful quarantine of students from low-risk countries.” Related Along with the challenges of the border remaining closed, the higher education sector is again facing significant cuts into the future.