The Use of Enabling Programs as a Pathway to Higher Education by Disadvantaged Students in Australia

Abstract

This chapter explores the use of enabling programs by Australian universities to improve participation and success for students historically underrepresented in the nation’s higher education system. It draws on empirical evidence from a national research project designed to undertake a review of current enabling programs offered by Australian higher education providers and to examine the effectiveness of these programs in increasing access to, participation in, and subsequent success in undergraduate courses for domestic students from disadvantaged groups. This chapter firstly outlines the rationale for providing enabling programs, their history of use in Australia against the wider context of higher education disadvantage, and a review of previous research. Secondly, it provides a typology of enabling programs in Australia detailing: their design and composition; how they are delivered; their prevalence throughout the sector; how they articulate to tertiary degrees; the types of students targeted; and numbers of students using them. Specific attention is on the representation of disadvantaged students throughout. Thirdly, the chapter provides a statistical analysis of the efficacy of these programs, as defined by retention and success. The fourth section details the findings of a national survey of 980 students who transitioned to higher education studies via an enabling program. This survey explores student perceptions, their experience of the program and their reflections on the extent to which it did or did not prepare them for tertiary studies. Finally, concluding comments are made and suggestions to improve the ongoing tertiary success of disadvantaged students are proposed.

Appendix A: Typology of Enabling Programs

Institution	Program	Age requirementsa	Citizenship requirementsb	Eligible studentsc	Minimum academic leveld	Associated costse	Courses accessedf	Providerg	Attendance mode(s)h	Minimum time to complete full-time
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education	Preparation for Tertiary Success Program	18+	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 10	US	NS	UNI	CLASS	6 months
Central Queensland University	Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS)	18+	AUS	All	NS	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	4 months
			NZ						ONL
			PR
			HUM
Charles Darwin University	Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP)	18+	AUS	All	None	US	NS	UNI	CLASS	8 months
			NZ						ONL
			PR
			HUM
	Preparation for Tertiary Success PTS	18+	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 10	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	18 months
Curtin University	UniReady Enabling Program	20+	AUS	All	NS	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	5 weeks
			NZ						ONL
			PR
	Enabling course (Science, Engineering & Health)	NS	AUS	All	TEST	US	SEL	COMB	CLASS	12 months
			NZ
			PR
	Indigenous Tertiary enabling program (Centre for Aboriginal Studies)	17+	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 11	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	6 months
									ONL
Edith Cowan University	(UniPrep) University Preparation Course	SL	NS	All	None	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	9 weeks
									ONL
	Indigenous University Orientation Course	18+	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 12	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	12 months
									ONL
Federation University Australia	Foundation access studies program (FAST)	18+	AUS	All	Yr. 10	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 weeks
Flinders University	Newstep	NS	AUS	All	None	NS	SEL	COMB	CLASS	7 months
			NZ
			PR
Griffith University	GUPP – Griffith University Preparation Program	16+	AUS	All	Yr. 10	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	26 weeks
			NZ
			PR
James Cook University	Tertiary Access Course	18+	NS	All	TEST	SC	NS	UNI	CLASS	6 months
La Trobe University	Tertiary Enabling Program (TEP)	18+	AUS	All	NS	SC	SEL	UNI	CLASS	17 weeks
			NZ
			PR
Monash University	Monash Access program	21+	AUS	All	NS	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	6 months
			NZ
			PR
			HUM
	Indigenous Non-Award Pathway (INAP)	All	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 12	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
	Indigenous Enabling Program (IEP)	All	AUS	ATSI	Yr. 12	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	6 months
Murdoch University	OnTrack Program	NS	NS	All	None	INC	ALL	UNI	CLASS	14 weeks
	OnTrack Sprint Program	NS	AUS	All	Yr. 12	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	4 weeks
			NZ
			PR
			HUM
	K-Track Course	NS	AUS	ATSI	NS	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	14 weeks
									ONL
Southern Cross University	Preparing for Success at SCU Program (PSP)	NS	DOM	All	TEST	US	SEL	ENT	CLASS	12 weeks
									ONL
University of Adelaide	University Preparatory Program UPP	17+	AUS	All	None	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
			NZ
			PR
			HU
			M
	Wirltu Yarlu University Preparatory program	17+	AUS	ATSI	TEST	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	12 months
University of Queensland	UQ College Tertiary Preparation Program (TPP) – 28 weeks;	19+	AUS	All	None	NS	SEL	ENT	CLASS	28 weeks
The University of Western Australia	UWA Smart Start	18+	AUS	All	TEST	US	NS	UNI	CLASS	12 months
			NZ
			PR
	Aboriginal Orientation Course	NS	AUS	ATSI	NS	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	12 months
University of Canberra	UC PREP	21+	AUS	All	None	SC	SEL	COMB	CLASS	12 weeks
			NZ
			PR
	UC-CONNECT	SL	NS	All	Yr. 12	SC	SEL	UNI	CLASS	14 weeks
	ATSI Foundation Program	NS	AUS	ATSI	NS	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	6 months
University of New England	UNE Pathways Enabling Course PEC	NS	NS	All	None	NS	SEL	UNI	ONL	6 months
	TRACKS	NS	AUS	ATSI	None	US	NS	UNI	CLASS	6 months
									ONL
University of New South Wales	University Preparation Program (UPP)	20+	AUS	All	None	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	6 months
			NZ
			PR
	UNSW Prep	17–19	AUS	DIS	Yr. 12	SC	SEL	UNI	NS	12 months
			NZ
			PR
	Indigenous Pre Program	All	AUS	ATSI	None	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	4 weeks
University of Newcastle	Newstep	18–20	NS	All	None	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
	Open Foundation	20+	AUS	All	Yr. 10	SC	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
			PR						ONL
	Yapug pathway program (Wollotuka Institute)	18+	AUS	ATSI	None	US	ALL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
University of South Australia	Foundation studies	18+	AUS	All	None	US	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 months
			NZ						ONL
			PR
			HUM
University of Southern Queensland	Tertiary Preparation Program TPP (Non Award)	18+	AUS	All	TEST	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	6 months
			NZ						ONL
			PR
			HUM
	Tertiary Preparation Program Intensive	Yr. 12	NS	All	Yr. 12	NS	SEL	UNI	CLASS	12 weeks
	Indigenous Higher Education Pathways Program (IHEP)	NS	AUS	ATSI	NS	NS	NS	UNI	ONL	6 months
University of Tasmania	University Preparation Program (UPP)	NS	NS	All	Yr. 10	US	NS	UNI	CLASS	12 months
									ONL
	Murina Pathway Program	18+	AUS	ATSI	NS	NS	NS	UNI	NS	12 months
University of the Sunshine Coast	Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP)	17+	AUS	All	TEST	NS	NS	UNI	CLASS	6 months
			NZ
			PR
			HUM
University of Western Sydney	Domestic University Foundation Studies	NS	AUS	All	NS	NS	SEL	ENT	NS	4 months
University of Wollongong	STEP (Special Tertiary Entrance Program) to UOW	17+	AUS	All	Yr 12i	NS	SEL	ENT	CLASS	28 weeks
			NZ
			PR
			HUM
Notre Dame	Foundation Year (Education, Nursing & Health Science)	PC	NS	All	None	NS	NS	UNI	NS	12 months
	Tertiary Enabling Program	NS	NS	All	None	NS	SEL	UNI	NS	6 months

1. ^aNS Not specified, PC Post-compulsory school-leaving age, SL school leaver
2. ^bAUS Australian citizen, NZ New Zealand citizen, PR Holder of a permanent (Australian) visa, HUM Humanitarian visa, NS not specified
3. ^cAll all students, ATSI Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, DIS disadvantaged students
4. ^dTEST Test required, NS Not specified
5. ^eNS not specified, US unspecified costs indicated, SC costs indicated and specified
6. ^fSEL Selected courses, NS Not specified, ALL All courses can be accessed
7. ^gUNI University, ENT university-owned entity, COMB combination of university and third-party provider
8. ^hCLASS face-to-face (classroom) mode, ONL online mode, NS Not specified
9. ⁱExcepting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, for whom there is no minimum academic requirement