A significant portion of Australian university students, nearly 35%, are studying part-time, yet the higher education system remains largely structured around the traditional full-time student model. This mismatch creates substantial challenges for a growing demographic of learners who juggle academic pursuits with work, family, and other significant life responsibilities. Universities need to adapt their processes, support structures, and funding models to better accommodate these students, who are disproportionately more likely to drop out.
The Growing Reality of Part-Time Study
In 2026, over 360,000 domestic students were enrolled part-time in Australian universities, constituting 35% of the total domestic student population. A little over half of these part-time students were pursuing undergraduate degrees. Research indicates that for many, this mode of study is not a preference but a necessity. A survey of nearly 1,000 part-time students revealed that 73% cited the need to work as the primary reason for studying part-time. Further interviews highlighted that significant caring responsibilities also play a crucial role in this decision.
Part-Time Students Face Higher Dropout Risks
Analysis of enrolments at four Australian universities, conducted anonymously for a recent report, identified part-time study as a major risk factor for both passing courses and completing degrees. Data from the Department of Education across all public Australian universities corroborates these findings, showing that part-time students have an average pass rate that is 6 percentage points lower than their full-time counterparts. Furthermore, their average retention rate is a staggering 15 percentage points lower.
Students themselves report considerable difficulties in allocating sufficient time for study, fitting classes around their existing commitments, and establishing connections with peers. One student articulated the feeling of being misunderstood:
They don’t care what you have had to juggle just to turn up to class, and that’s the tricky thing with part-time study […] We are treated like we are less committed, when it’s the opposite, we are on average a lot more committed.
What Part-Time Students Need: Flexibility and Support
To improve the success rates of part-time students, universities must implement more flexible approaches and provide enhanced support. Key areas for improvement include:
- Flexible Scheduling and Content Delivery: Students desire more understanding from lecturers and greater flexibility. This includes access to recorded lectures and course materials made available well in advance. The timing of compulsory activities often poses a significant hurdle, particularly for parents managing school-aged children’s schedules. While online learning offers potential, it can still be inflexible if live attendance is mandatory without recordings. Some students find themselves needing to participate in online classes while managing other responsibilities, such as driving children to activities.
- Adaptable Deadline Policies: The current policies for assignment extensions often fail to accommodate the realities of work and caring duties. Many policies explicitly exclude the “routine demands of employment” or dismiss issues like a cancelled babysitter as valid reasons for an extension. A more equitable solution could be a simple, no-questions-asked extension policy, offering an automatic grace period (like a weekend) without requiring documented evidence. This approach is already in place at nearly half of Australian universities and could be adopted more broadly.
- Logistical and Practical Support: A significant challenge for part-time students is the inability to complete mandatory practical placements on a part-time basis, which can conflict with work and family commitments. While expanded payments for placements may assist some students whose work availability is the deciding factor, they offer little relief for those with caring responsibilities. Universities could explore negotiating part-time placement options with employers.
- Improved Academic Advising: Many part-time students do not receive adequate guidance on suitable study patterns. Universities could proactively prevent students from enrolling in unit combinations that have historically shown high failure rates when taken together. This proactive advising can help students avoid overwhelming workloads and set them on a path to success.
Addressing Financial Barriers
Part-time students frequently encounter difficulties accessing government financial support. The Universities Accord in 2024 recommended that students undertaking between 50% and 75% of a full-time study load should be eligible for pro-rata government income support. Additionally, a disparity exists in how scholarships and stipends are taxed: part-time students are taxed on all scholarships and PhD stipends, whereas full-time students are exempt. Further financial strain comes from the lack of student public transport discounts for part-time students, despite potentially frequent travel to campus. These financial burdens can lead some students to conclude that continuing their studies is simply unfeasible.
Conclusion: A Call for Systemic Change
The evidence clearly indicates that the Australian higher education system needs a fundamental redesign to better serve the growing population of part-time students. By implementing more flexible policies, providing tailored support services, and addressing financial inequities, universities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment. This will not only improve retention and completion rates for part-time students but also ensure that higher education is accessible and achievable for a broader range of Australians, regardless of their personal circumstances.
