Diverse students

This reflects the much greater range of people now enrolling in university courses. The traditional university student who has moved straight from secondary school and now devotes all his/her time to studying fulltime is becoming far less the norm. Students today may study fulltime while working part time or study part time while working full time. There is a large and increasing cohort of mature-age students who study by distance. There is also a substantial portion who are foreign students [13].

Foreign student

A non-Australian citizen who is enrolled as a student at an Australian university

Disadvantaged

students

This includes students from a socio-economic background which makes it difficult for them to enrol in a university course, usually because of the need to participate in full time employment. It may include students with a physical or cognitive disability which creates challenges in completing tertiary studies. It includes students who are full or part time carers for dependent family members such as parents with children. It also includes students whose primary language is not English.