The Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) has called for stability and predictability in the higher education sector, following a report in The Australian that the Coalition is considering capping overseas enrolments to 30 or 35 per cent of a university’s students.
The Australian reported yesterday (Coalition floats foreign student flat caps, as election looms) that Peter Dutton’s frontbench was canvassing with the higher education sector on alternative models for cutting international students, including the 30 or 30 per cent cap.
Although not specifically referencing the Coalition’s plans, the ATN Chair and Curtin University Vice-Chancellow, Professor Harlene Hayne CNZM, said “our position is clear, the higher education sector needs stability and predictability if we are to maximise the outcomes for all our students, both domestic and international”,
“It’s imperative that policymakers help secure the sector’s ability to plan, to fund universities sustainably, and to attract the best and brightest students from around the world,” said Hayne.
This also follows news reports that the number of arrivals on student visas in February 2025 of 201,490 is 15 per cent higher than 2024, and 10 per cent higher than February 2019, before the pandemic. (AFR 180325)
Through the inquiry into the ESOS Amendment Bill, data was released by provider of the percentage of onshore international students, up to 2023. If the Coalition was to impose a maximum 30 per cent enrolment, the following universities would be impacted based on 2023 data:
| University | % onshore international
>29% in 2023 |
| Bond University | 35% |
| Federation University Australia | 35% |
| Monash University | 33% |
| Murdoch University | 39% |
| The Australian National University | 40% |
| The University of Adelaide | 30% |
| The University of Melbourne | 41% |
| The University of Queensland | 39% |
| The University of Sydney | 46% |
| Torrens University Australia | 43% |
| University of New South Wales | 39% |
| Victoria University | 33% |
Professor Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor, Deakin University (an ATN member) proposed a 35 per cent cap on international students at all universities during the ESOS Amendment Bill debate in 2024. Based on the published 2023 data, no ATN members would be impacted by a 30 per cent cap, although RMIT University is perilously close, at 29 per cent.
