Dr Tim Higgins is an Associate Professor in Actuarial Studies in the Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics. He has a Masters and PhD in Statistics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. Prior to academia Tim worked in the Department of Treasury.

Tim has taught a variety of actuarial and statistics courses at ANU including Introduction to Actuarial Studies, Financial Mathematics, Life Contingencies, Actuarial Techniques, Risk Theory, Actuarial Control Cycle, Advanced General Insurance and Enterprise Risk Management. He received the Vice Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Teaching in 2005, and has supervised over 30 honours and PhD students.

Tim has researched and published in the area of income-contingent loan theory and applications, stochastic modelling of earnings dynamics, demographic modelling, financial literacy and behaviour, and superannuation and retirement policy.

His primary field of research is income contingent loan (ICL) policy analysis and development. His involvement with ICL has included model development and costing of the Australian HECS scheme, and his work has led to published peer-reviewed research on topics including paid parental leave, mature-aged training, community attitudes, overseas debt collection, income support, recovery of migrant ‘brain drain’ charges, and options for tertiary education reform. Dr Higgins is co-editor and author of a recent book Income Contingent Loans: Theory, Practice and Prospects with Professor Bruce Chapman and Nobel Laureate, Joseph Stiglitz, launched at the 2014 International Economics Association World Congress in Jordan.

He is an active commentator and contributor to the Australian policy debate on higher education financing, has participated in Government Hearings into student income support and finance reform, and was an advisor to the 2014 Australian Higher Education Legislation and Finance Working Group. Tim was joint recipient (with Bruce Chapman) of the ANU 2014 Vice-Chancellor’s award for Public Policy and Outreach.