International students’ enrolment rates have been increasing since 1994 and peaked in 2019 with a total of 943,450 enrolments across higher education, secondary and early childhood education. 2020 has proved itself to be a hard year in the education industry, showing a 6.9% decrease in enrolments across all education sectors.

Leading the trend was the sharp decrease of enrolments in English Language Courses (ELICOS). from 151,976 to 103,130. Seconded by the higher education sector which saw a 5% decrease of enrolments from 440,308 to 418,018. The decrease of enrolments was evident in between holidays, where it was the lowest between Queensland school holidays in April and May.

Early childhood education 

The effects of a 5% decrease in higher education enrolments does not only affect the education industry itself, as international students contribute to the demand of accommodations, retail and hospitality as well as luxury goods.

College costs are on an upward trajectory. Until government officials implement tangible reforms, a college education will remain out-of-reach for many students. Fortunately, scholarships usually go a long way in reducing the financial burden that college fees present.

The reality, however, is that sometimes scholarships are hard to come by. Competition is stiff, and even students with commendable grades miss out.