Navitas has recorded 3% growth in student enrolments for the first semester of 2018 in its University Partnerships Division, bringing its total enrolment growth across the division for the 2018 financial year to 6%. However, this is lower than market forecasts and comes after almost 8% growth in the final semester of 2017.
Equivalent full-time student units for the first 2018 semester were 19,615 across the University Partnerships Division compared to of 19,047 in the previous period. This included enrolments of approximately 1,450 equivalent full-time student units from Navitas’ four joint venture colleges.
“This is solid growth, just above our stated 2020 growth targets”
Navitas reported that enrolments at Australian and New Zealand colleges increased by 4% compared to the prior period, following solid enrolment growth in Australia.
According to the Navitas report, the growth rate slowed in the last semester as the Simplified Student Visa Framework contributed towards a bias by international students towards the highest ranked SSVF universities and postgraduate studies.
Enrolments in North America increased by 2% compared to the previous period, driven by strong enrolments in Navitas’ Canadian colleges offset by the continued fall in enrolments in the US.
The report stated that higher visa rejection rates and ongoing uncertainty caused by the Trump administration’s approach to immigration continue to reduce international student volumes into many US universities.
Meanwhile, UK enrolments increased by 6%, driven mainly by continued higher numbers of European Union students seeking to study in the UK.
“With the semester one intake now finalised we have achieved 6% enrolment growth in the University Partnerships division in FY18 compared to FY17. This is solid growth, just above our stated 2020 growth targets,” said Navitas chief executive officer David Buckingham.
He said that while growth in Australia has slowed, they are actively working with the sector to enhance the sustainability of Australia’s international education sector.”
While the US remains “challenging”, Buckingham said that as it is the number one destination for international students they will continue to support the internationalisation objectives of their partner universities and that they are close to capacity at both colleges in Canada.
“The ongoing improvement in UK student enrolments is encouraging though more meaningful changes to immigration policy will need to occur for sustained growth,” Buckingham added.
“We continue to see pressure building on the UK Government to exclude international student numbers from the UK’s immigration quota and strongly support that proposed reform.”
In January 2018, Navitas reported a 4.6% drop in revenue for the half-year ending December 31.
