The 2025 annual reports for Victorian TAFEs tabled recently in Parliament show mixed results in international fee-for-service revenue, with some institutions posting strong growth while others experienced significant declines across 2025.
The figures suggest a Victorian TAFE sector heading in very different directions when it comes to international education, with some providers growing strongly despite ongoing visa and policy uncertainty, while others continue to lose ground.
Melbourne Polytechnic recorded one of the strongest onshore results, increasing international fee-for-service revenue from $12.7 million in 2024 to $16 million in 2025, a rise of 26 per cent. Box Hill Institute posted the largest percentage increase, jumping 76 per cent from $4.3 million to $7.6 million, while Chisholm Institute also recorded solid growth, up 56 per cent to $3.1 million.
By contrast, William Angliss Institute reported a 17 per cent decline in onshore international revenue, Holmesglen fell 16 per cent and Gordon Institute of TAFE recorded a sharp 48 per cent drop year-on-year.
Offshore activity was generally softer across the sector.
Melbourne Polytechnic’s offshore revenue declined slightly from $5.3 million to $5 million, while Box Hill and Chisholm also reported falls. Bendigo Kangan Institute continued to record the largest offshore revenue in the Victorian TAFE system at $8.1 million, although this was down from $9.7 million in 2024. Much of Kangan’s offshore activity, however, relates to work undertaken through VETASSESS rather than traditional offshore delivery.
The results came just days before the Federal Government announced a 12-month suspension on new CRICOS applications from private VET and ELICOS providers, a move it has framed as necessary to strengthen integrity in the sector and curb poor quality operators. Public providers, including TAFEs, are exempt from the suspension. (TKN 190526)
That decision could significantly reshape the competitive landscape for international VET. With new private competitors effectively locked out of the market for the next year, TAFEs may be in a stronger position to grow international enrolments, expand partnerships and consolidate market share. This may particularly benefit institutions with established international operations and strong compliance settings.
And while the Victorian annual reports show there is no single story across the sector, the institutions that have maintained investment and momentum in international education may now be better placed to take advantage of the changing policy environment. Whether they do so successfully is another question.
Several TAFEs are still reporting declining revenue, softer offshore activity and uneven growth patterns, suggesting that international recovery across the public VET sector remains far from uniform.
The broader operating environment also remains difficult. Visa settings continue to tighten, student sentiment in some markets remains fragile and the political debate around migration is becoming increasingly hostile ahead of the next federal election.
Still, if the government’s latest crackdown on new private VET entrants was intended in part to strengthen the role of public providers, these figures provide an early indication of which TAFEs may be positioned to benefit most.
