Griffith facing student drought
THE Gold Coast’s biggest university is facing a business risk with a combined whammy of fewer domestic and international students after next year’s Commonwealth Games.
The warning is in a report from the Queensland Audit Office (QAO) following its 2016 financial check on universities and grammar schools.
Auditors advised Griffith University and several other universities that the number of international students had plateaued and strong income from domestic students would drop in 2020 because of changes to prep year in 2007.
The findings are sobering given the Gold Coast City Council is providing record ratepayer funding to Study Gold Coast after being told attracting Asian students would help any Games economic hangover.
The QAO report, tabled in State Parliament, found the sector achieved an operating surplus in 2016, but “the surplus is declining”.
“The total number of international students at Queensland universities has plateaued in recent years. The universities will need to ... develop effective marketing strategies.”
By contrast, domestic student numbers increased between 2012 and 2016, with fees rising almost 22 per cent. Domestic students are paying on average $8869 compared to $7283 four years ago, while international fees increased from $19,881 to $26,422.
The three universities identified as being most affected by decreasing international student numbers were Griffith, University of Southern Queensland and Central Queensland University.
Griffith University Vice Chancellor Professor Ian O’Connor said the campus had strategies in place with the aim to have 20-25 per cent international students.
“Like other Queensland universities, Griffith is preparing for a reduced school leaver cohort in 2020,” Professor O’Connor said.
Griffith believed it was in the unique situation of attracting students from NSW, which will not have a reduced student cohort in 2020.