Australian private colleges offer discounts to rush students into diploma set for cancellation

The Australian federal government announced in early September that it would deregister the graduate diploma of management, a qualification it suspects has been misused by "non-genuine" international students to remain in the country. The course is currently taught by close to 450 institutions, has more than 15,000 students enrolled, and over 40,000 more registered to begin it after completing a separate vocational course.

Following the announcement, advertisements circulating on social media and among education agents have urged students to enrol or bring forward their start date before the course is deregistered on 5 October. Students already studying by that date will be permitted to finish it. Some colleges offered September promotions including discounted fees or free certificates of enrolment, while at least one institution offered agents attractive commissions and same-day enrolment confirmations, with special intakes scheduled just days before the cutoff.

Effect on students

Phil Honeywood of the International Education Association of Australia backed the cancellation, saying it could put financial pressure on providers that had exploited loopholes in the system. More than 40,000 students who had a future enrolment in the course are now being urged to start immediately or switch to a higher qualification, such as a bachelor's or master's degree, to keep their visa valid — in some cases meaning two courses studied simultaneously.

One international student, speaking anonymously, said they had dropped out of a bachelor's degree on a migration agent's advice to pursue a vocational carpentry course followed by the graduate diploma, and were now being told to study both concurrently, raising concerns about workload.

Julian Hill, the assistant minister overseeing the change, said the department and education regulator would closely monitor enrolment patterns and take action against providers or students acting improperly. The move forms part of a broader government crackdown on visa-hopping, which also includes a ban on students downgrading to lower-value qualifications and a requirement, from next year, for students changing institutions to apply for a new visa.