• More than one-third of Australian university students study part-time, yet support systems remain geared to full-time learners
• Flexible teaching, better financial support and practical placements could help reduce part-time student dropout rates

When we think of a traditional university student, you might picture someone young who is studying full-time. Maybe they have some casual work, but their main occupation is being a student.

Universities systems are certainly set up based on this assumption. This means processes, support and funding are skewed towards supporting full-time students.

But uni students increasingly study part-time. Typically, these students take one or two classes per semester or less than 75 per cent of a standard study load.

This group are more likely to be older, have demanding paid jobs and have significant caring responsibilities.

And unis have not adapted to meet the needs of this group. We know part-time students are more than twice as likely to drop out of university than full-time students.

In a report released today, I investigate how universities can better support part-time student success.

In 2026, more than 360,000 Australian students enrolled in university part-time, making up 35 per cent of all domestic students. Just over half of these students were enrolled in an undergraduate course.

We know many of these students study part time because they need to, not because they want to.

In my report, a survey of almost 1,000 part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students, found 73 per cent studied part-time because they needed to work. In follow-up interviews with 80 students, respondents also noted caring responsibilities were also a major factor in their decision to study part-time.

The report looked closely at enrolments at four Australian universities. It found studying part-time was one of the biggest risk factors for passing and finishing a degree.

Department of Education data on all public Australian universities also shows the average pass rate for part-time students is six percentage points lower than for full-time students. The average retention rate is 15 percentage points lower for part-time students.

Part-time students reported it was difficult to allocate time to study, fit classes around other responsibilities and connect with other students.

Survey respondents said they wanted more engagement and understanding from their lecturers. They said they needed flexibility, including recorded lectures and course content being available early.

While it is true the rise in online learning is providing more options for students, students reported this could involve inflexible scheduling. For example, a unit might be theoretically “online” but the lectures are not recorded, so a student must attend live online classes.

More flexibility is also needed around deadlines. It can be difficult for those with work and caring responsibilities to provide the required “evidence” if they need an extension for assignments.

One solution is a simple, no-questions-asked extension policy. This means an automatic period is applied without needing documented evidence. This is now available in almost half of Australian universities and could be applied more widely.

Many part-time students do not have the option to complete mandatory prac placements part-time. This makes it very difficult to handle work and caring commitments.

The expanded payments for placements will help some students who find work the determining factor in their availability, but it offers little help for those with caring responsibilities.

At the moment, many part-time students struggle to get government financial support to study. In 2024, the Universities Accord recommended students who study between 50 per cent and 75 per cent of a full load should qualify for government income support pro rata.

On top of this, part-time students pay tax on all scholarships and PhD stipends, while full-time students do not. Part-time students also do not qualify for student public transport discounts, even though they may need to travel to campus frequently.

This all adds to the burden of studying part-time and can lead to some students deciding it’s simply too hard. It is time to start designing our universities to better support part-time students.