ACSES has today published the first ever national, institution level analysis of university enabling program participation rates stratified by equity group.
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New Data Insights Series report highlights enabling program participation rates
Dear colleagues,
The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) has today published the first ever national, institution‑level analysis of university enabling program participation rates stratified by equity group.
The report, Enabling programs in Australian higher education, focuses on changes in enabling program participation rates, first-year university retention rates, and first-year success rates.
It found the share of equity students enrolling in enabling programs climbed to about 60%—a more than 10% increase—in the decade to 2023.
And while first-year retention rates for equity students who entered university via enabling programs dropped between 2021 and 2022, first-year success rates showed a distinct upward trend in 2023.
Drawing on recently released data, the report also presents comparable evidence on retention and success outcomes for students entering university via enabling programs, benchmarked against ATAR pathways.
This valuable pathway benchmark helps us understand how enabling programs perform for specific equity groups, including students with disability, regional and remote students, students from low socio-economic backgrounds, and First Nations Australians.
The findings are further proof of the key role enabling programs, as an alternative entry pathway to university, play in widening higher education participation, particularly for equity students.
You can now read the full report—part of our Data Insights Series—here.
Kind regards,
Associate Professor Gemma Cadby
Data Program Director
Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success
New Small Grants Research Program report explores barriers to financially inclusive higher education
Barriers preventing university students from accessing essential financial assistance are explored in the latest report released through ACSES’s Small Grants Research Program.
Towards a financially inclusive higher education system also presents comprehensive recommendations for various stakeholders including government, universities, student support offices, and industry partners.
Led by University of Wollongong’s Dr Anne-Therese McMahon, the research involved a desktop audit of financial aid services across 41 Australian universities, a scoping review of the existing literature, and a national survey of more than 900 students.
Key findings of the report include:
- One in three students experienced financial insecurity, particularly international students, Indigenous students, and students living with a disability.
- While most universities offer financial aid services, only 21.6% of students were aware of available support, and nearly half of these found application processes too complex.
- Financial stress was linked to increased dropout rates, lower academic performance, and adverse mental health outcomes.
- Emergency aid and scholarships offered by universities were under-promoted, often lacked sufficient funding, and failed to provide long-term financial stability for students.
Key recommendations for universities include:
- developing comprehensive Financial Inclusion Plans
- improving webpage design and accessibility of financial aid information
- expanding emergency support services
- enhancing non-monetary support services, such as providing discounted textbooks, subsidised meal plans, and on-campus services
- simplifying aid application processes.
You can now read the full report here.
ACSES Equity Fellowship Webinar
Join us next month for a Fellowship Webinar where 2025 ACSES Equity Fellow, Kelly Linden, will present her project "Is the problem us? Helping part-time students to succeed in a full-time world."
This Fellowship highlights the extent to which part-time students, who make up 35% of all domestic Australian University students, are juggling competing responsibilities, such as caring and work commitments. It includes analysis of 2024 sector data, detailed student-level data from domestic students enrolled in 2022 and 2023 at four Australian universities, interview responses from 965 part-time students from 35 Australian universities, and 80 follow-up semi structured interviews.
Findings highlight that part-time students on average have lower success and retention and are more likely to belong to an equity group than full-time students. The students who participated in the research demonstrated that, although they are dedicated to their studies, university cannot always be their number one priority. Part-time students emphasised the importance of high quality learning and teaching, including engaging and understanding lectures as well as flexibility in their studies as keys elements to success.
You can find more information on Kelly and the ACSES Equity Fellowship on the ACSES website.
📅 Wednesday, 17 June
📍Online via Zoom
⏰12:00pm–1:00pm AEST | 10:00am–11:00am AWST
🧷 Register for the event here
ADCET UDL Symposium 2026: From Ideas to Impact
The Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET), in partnership with the University of Tasmania and ACSES, invites you to join us for the UDL Symposium 2026: From Ideas to Impact: Sharing, Engaging, and Co-Designing Practice, held 24–26 June 2026 at The Forest, University of Tasmania, Hobart, with online attendance also available.
Bringing together educators, learning designers, disability practitioners, and sector leaders from across Higher Education and VET, the Symposium is a unique opportunity to share knowledge, build connections, and explore how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can drive real change for learners.
This year's international keynote speakers are Lillian Nave and Kavita Rao, and the programme includes presentations, workshops, and gallery sessions across nine rich themes spanning innovative UDL practice, generative AI, student co-design, accessibility, and more.
Registrations are now open. In-person places are limited, so we encourage early registration.
Find out more and to register here.
Leading and Embedding UDL in University Contexts: A Masterclass with Dr Matt Brett
Join Dr Matt Brett for a practical and thought-provoking masterclass as part of the ADCET UDL Symposium 2026 Pre-Symposium Masterclasses, held on Wednesday 24 June 2026 at The Forest, University of Tasmania, Hobart.
There is a growing groundswell of interest in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) across the tertiary sector, but embedding UDL sustainably in institutional strategy, policy, culture, and practice is far from inevitable. Drawing on baseline data about the current state of UDL across Australian universities, this workshop explores the real challenges of leading a UDL agenda in complex tertiary contexts.
Participants will engage in critical reflection on what works and what gets in the way, and will leave with practical strategies to hasten the embedding of UDL within their own institutional context.
This masterclass is part of a series delivered by ADCET in partnership with ACSES on Wednesday 24 June, prior to the official start of the UDL Symposium. Places are limited to 45 participants, so early registration is encouraged.
Session 2: Leading and Embedding UDL in University Contexts: A Masterclass with Dr Matt Brett
📅 Wednesday, 24 June
📍The Forest, University of Tasmania, Hobart & online
⏰2:30pm–4:30pm AEST
💲$40
🧷 Register here
Don’t forget: Nominations still open for ACSES Awards 2026
There’s still plenty of time to submit your nominations for the ACSES Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Impact on Higher Education Policy and Practice 2026.
The Awards recognise teams and individuals who have made significant contributions in shaping policy and/or transforming practices in ways that drive positive outcomes in student equity in Australian higher education.
This year's Awards will honour up to five (5) recipients who will be recognised for demonstrating excellence in one of the following criteria:
- innovation and originality
- impact and effectiveness
- collaboration and stakeholder engagement
- advocacy and leadership
- evidence and research-based approach.
The Awards celebrate those whose work has not only influenced decision-makers, but has also led to tangible improvements in higher education outcomes for students from equity backgrounds. This work may span any stage of the student lifecycle, from pre-access and participation to university completion and post-graduation pathways.
Award recipients (or a nominated team member for team awards) will be supported by ACSES for their attendance at the 2026 Australian Student Equity Symposium in Brisbane (more details to be announced soon), where they will be formally recognised for their contributions and presented with their awards.
Applications close before 4pm (AWST) on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
You can find more information and an application pack to download on the ACSES website.
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