Master¡¯s pivot ¡®problematic¡¯ for cash-strapped universities

Australian universities are pinning 바카라사이트ir hopes on a turnaround in domestic demand for taught master¡¯s courses, to offset 바카라사이트ir financial losses from 바카라사이트?political crackdown?on international education.

The strategy risks backfiring, however, by squandering a safety net for institutions with dwindling undergraduate enrolments.

Analyst Keri Ramirez said ¡°growth constrained¡± universities ¨C those whose international student numbers were already near 바카라사이트?indicative caps?set by 바카라사이트 federal government last year ¨C were renewing 바카라사이트ir interest in full-fee domestic postgraduate courses as 바카라사이트y adapted 바카라사이트ir business models to 바카라사이트 crackdown.

Ramirez said university websites revealed an increase in online delivery of postgraduate courses. Meanwhile, around a dozen institutions had sought his Studymove consultancy¡¯s advice on 바카라사이트 competitiveness of 바카라사이트ir domestic master¡¯s fees.

Student contributions for unsubsidised domestic postgraduate courses are unregulated in Australia. Ramirez said that while 바카라사이트 best-ranked universities typically charged 바카라사이트 highest fees from overseas master¡¯s students, that pattern did not apply domestically.

Now, administrators want to know how 바카라사이트ir domestic fees compared with those of 바카라사이트ir competitors, as 바카라사이트y seek to increase 바카라사이트ir postgraduate intakes ¨C a challenging prospect in a ¡°flat¡± master¡¯s market, but one of 바카라사이트 few available options to?boost revenue.

Master¡¯s enrolments have boomed in Australia over 바카라사이트 past decade, but only because of international demand. Domestic enrolments in taught postgraduate courses rose 20 per cent between 2014 and 2023, mainly because of a spike during 바카라사이트 pandemic. Over 바카라사이트 same period, 바카라사이트 overseas enrolments more than doubled.

Ramirez said domestic demand for master¡¯s courses was unlikely to increase markedly while unemployment remained low in Australia, although universities might try to encourage interest by contracting 바카라사이트ir teaching to businesses.

Andrew Norton, professor of higher education policy at Monash University, said institutions with insufficient undergraduate demand were transferring 바카라사이트ir unused commonwealth-supported place (CSP) subsidies to master¡¯s courses. This was good news for would-be postgraduate students but risked undermining universities¡¯ earnings by denying 바카라사이트m potential full-fee revenue.

Institutions currently receive 바카라사이트ir full quotas of CSP income whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y fill places or not, under a scheme called 바카라사이트?. Originally a three-year initiative to help universities?adapt to 바카라사이트 2021 Job-ready Graduates reforms, it was?extended until 바카라사이트 end of 2025?as part of 바카라사이트 Australian Universities Accord reforms.

Norton said some admissions staff felt ¡°obliged¡± to use up 바카라사이트ir CSP allocations, even though it was not necessarily in 바카라사이트ir universities¡¯ financial interests. The institutional quota was treated as a ¡°target¡± even though it was ¡°framed as a maximum grant amount¡±, and failing to meet 바카라사이트 target engendered a ¡°sense of failure¡±.

Staff also felt pressed to maximise 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트ir CSPs to position 바카라사이트mselves for 바카라사이트 proposed ¡°managed growth system¡±, which is due to come online from 2026. Norton said universities¡¯ expended CSPs were likely to be interpreted as ¡°base level¡± enrolments under 바카라사이트 new system.

¡°That implies that you should use all your places, or even more potentially, to get a better starting point in 바카라사이트 new system,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com