Drop in indigenous tertiary enrolments
New research shows there has been a 15% decline in indigenous students starting university studies. According to research by the National Tertiary Education Union – the NTEU – this fall in numbers has occurred despite the fact that the indigenous population of this age group is growing, compared to the non-indigenous population. The findings were part of an NTEU submission to the Department of Education. The submission says that one reason for the decline is that eligibility for ABSTUDY, the student income support scheme for indigenous students, has changed, with the average expenditure per student falling by 7%. Joel Wright, National Indigenous Officer from the National Tertiary Education Union, told the Wire about some of the reasons contributing to the decline of Australia’s undergraduate indigenous students.