Factors influencing dropout and academic performance: an Australian higher education equity perspective

There has been increasing access to higher education enrolment
for disadvantaged individuals following the Bradley Review of
Australian higher education. While progress has been made, students
from equity groups are still found to lag behind their
privileged counterparts in completing higher education. This
study examines higher education academic outcomes for equity
groups in Australia, specifically, students considering dropout,
actual dropout, and marks. The influence of student satisfaction
on those academic outcomes are also examined. Students from
equity groups tend to have poorer academic marks and are more
likely to consider dropout, with health and financial reasons found
to be important determinants. These findings support the need for
multi-faceted initiatives to support higher education students from
equity backgrounds.