The October update to the 2022-23 Budget sets aside $3.6 million for the Department of Education to develop a business case to replace the aging payment systems that enable the Commonwealth to distribute billions of dollars to schools and universities.

The existing systems – the School Education Management Information System (SEMIS) and the University Payment (UniPay) – administer fund transfers to some 10,000 schools and 150 universities and other higher education institutions throughout Australia.