Australian Government Faces Controversy as Private Education Providers Offer Special Discounts Ahead of Visa-Abused Management Diploma Closure

Last-Minute Enrollment Push Before October 5 Closure

The Australian federal government announced in early September that the graduate diploma of management (learning) program would be abolished from October 5. This decision was based on the determination that the program was being used for extending stays in Australia rather than genuine educational purposes.

Currently, nearly 450 educational institutions offer this program, with over 15,000 students enrolled. More than 40,000 students are scheduled to enroll in this program after completing other vocational education courses.

Advertisements recently circulated through social media and education agencies are encouraging students to enroll in the program or advance their start dates before the closure. Students already enrolled and attending before October 5 will be able to complete the program.

Fee Discounts and Express Admission Offers

Some education agencies promoted through WhatsApp messages and texts throughout September, urging students to enroll immediately or bring forward future enrollments. Several advertisements featured tuition discounts or free confirmation of enrollment certificates.

One private education provider offered "attractive" fees to education agencies, promising same-day admission letters and enrollment confirmation. The provider announced two "special intake" periods on September 21 and October 2, the latter just three days before the closure.

Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia, supported the decision to abolish the program and stated that private education providers exploiting system loopholes could face financial difficulties. He explained that "the government was trying to prevent non-genuine international students from using this program to stay in the country for legitimate reasons."

Concurrent Enrollment Requirements and Student Burden

More than 40,000 international students with future enrollments scheduled must either start the program before the closure or choose higher-level programs such as bachelor's or master's degrees to maintain their visa conditions. Some students may need to take two programs concurrently.

One student who requested anonymity told Guardian Australia that they initially came to Australia for a bachelor's program but, following their education agent's advice, canceled their enrollment after one semester and chose a carpentry vocational education program and the graduate diploma of management. The explanation was that these two programs met the qualification level required to maintain an international student visa.

This student said they were instructed by their education agent to start the diploma program immediately. "The agent explained the new regulations and said they wanted concurrent enrollment. I don't know if I can handle two programs at the same time," they said. Other students following the same path received identical advice and reported stress about the academic burden.

Government Announces Increased Monitoring

Julian Hill, the assistant minister responsible for abolishing the program, stated that the education department and regulatory agencies would "closely monitor student and education provider behavior." He told Guardian Australia that "students and education providers should know that suspicious patterns of early starts or new enrollments will be investigated and action will be taken against improper conduct."

In his September announcement, Hill stated that "the coalition government left a terrible mess in 2022. Student numbers in the industry's most disreputable sector increased unsustainably, and our high-quality student visa degraded into a low-quality illegal work visa, exploited by fraudsters."

Melanie McFarlane, chair of the Migration Institute of Australia's New South Wales branch, said some education agents are helping students maintain their visas by connecting them to master's programs. However, she added that some agencies facing closure due to industry changes are rushing to enroll students in this program within the available time.

As part of a broader crackdown to prevent visa abuse and stay extensions, the government has prohibited international students from switching to lower-level programs after starting a course. Hill also stated that fees charged by education agents for switching students between programs within Australia have been banned. From next year, international students seeking to change education providers will need to apply for a new visa.

Source: The Guardian