Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ)
When we think of a traditional uni 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% 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.
What do we know about part-time students?
In 2026, more than 360,000 Australian students enrolled in university part-time, making up 35% 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% 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.
More likely to drop out
The report looked closely at enrolments at four Australian universities (which we have kept anonymous). 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 6 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. As one interviewee said:
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 do part-time students want? More flexibility for a start
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. As one interviewee said:
I wish there was more consideration made to the timing of compulsory things […] 1-4pm mid-week is really tough for parents of school aged children.
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. One student spoke of needing to dial into classes while driving her son to soccer each week.
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. Many policies specifically exclude “routine demands of employment” as a reason. Or they don’t recognise a babysitter cancelling as a valid excuse for not submitting an essay.
One solution is a simple, no-questions-asked extension policy. This means an automatic period (such as a weekend) is applied without needing documented evidence. This is now available in almost half of Australian universities and could be applied more widely.
More logistical support
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
One solution is for universities to look at negotiating part-time placements with employers
Universities can also provide better advice on part-time study patterns which are likely to work – or not work. My report found that many part-time students do no get any advice on study patterns at all. Unis could prevent students from enrolling in overly demanding unit combinations observed by institutions to have high rates of failure when taken together .
More financial support
At the moment, many part-time students struggle to get government financial support to study.
This is an issue flagged by major reviews. In 2024, the Universities Accord recommended students who study between 50% and 75% 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.
Kelly Linden receives funding from the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES).
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/08/05/35-of-australian-uni-students-are-part-time-but-higher-ed-is-still-geared-towards-full-timers/