Demand-driven system boosts student numbers

The federal government’s lifting of restrictions on enrollments that individual universities could accept had boosted student numbers this year by more than 30,000, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, told the Universities Australia conference this week.

“Some 220,000 university offers have been made this year, an increase of more than 4% on last year,” Evans said. “Student places are up 27% since 2007 [when the Labor government was first elected] and that means 150,000 additional students are now getting a university education in Australia.”

Taking the opportunity to spell out the government’s achievements in higher education to the nation’s vice-chancellors and their senior executives, Evans said one in six of the additional students were from low socio-economic backgrounds and many were the first in their families to go to university.

Growth in enrolments had been strong across disciplines such as health and engineering, and the nation was on track to reach the government’s 2025 target for 40% of 25- to 34-year-old Australians to have a bachelor or higher degree.

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