First-year university retention and academic performance of non-traditional students entering via an Australian pre-university enabling program - Research summary

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran

Pre-tertiary enabling programs have become a widely used route to university in Australia, yet evidence on how enabling students perform after entry remains limited. This paper compares first-year retention and academic outcomes for non-traditional students who entered Murdoch University between 2014 and 2016 via the OnTrack enabling program. OnTrack entrants show similar or better retention than other pathways, despite weaker academic results, suggesting resilience built through enabling education. Findings also indicate admission pathway and demographic factors explain little variation, highlighting the role of unobserved student variables and supporting targeted support for broader transition experiences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages35

Reading Time1 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background and policy context

Research gaps and definitions of success

Method and analysis approach

Comparison of retention and academic outcomes

Regression modelling of predictors

Findings and discussion

Retention outcomes across entry pathways

Academic performance patterns and resilience

Implications for support and future policy

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 62, Number 2, July 2022 First-year university retention and academic performance of non-traditional students entering via an Australian pre-university enabling program Joanne G. Lisciandro Pre-tertiary enabling programs have become an increasingly popular pathway to university in Australia in recent years, however little is published about how well enabling students fare once they start university. This paper examines and compares first-year retention and academic outcomes of students that entered Murdoch University between 2014 and 2016 via successful completion of its enabling program, OnTrack. A greater proportion of students transitioning via OnTrack were from equity and disadvantaged backgrounds than any other entry pathway; thereby demonstrating an important function of this enabling program in boosting the representation of these students at the university. Further, OnTrack-pathway students were retained at a rate that was similar or better than students entering via all other admission pathways, despite poorer academic performance. This persistence suggests enhanced resilience amongst this cohort, potentially built during their enabling education experience. Multivariate regression modelling was also undertaken, revealing that admission pathway, demographic and enrolment factors collectively explained very little of the observed variation in student outcomes 168 Joanne G. Lisciandro for all first year students, and were particularly poor predictors of academic underperformance. Thus, once students are enrolled in undergraduate study, student outcomes may be better explained by student variables not captured in university databases, such as personal circumstances or psychological factors. In summary, these findings provide empirical data to support the notion that enabling programs have been successful in ‘enabling’access and participation of students who are capable but otherwise lack opportunity, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, enabling pathway students may experience ongoing challenges that impact their academic performance, and thus future equity and access policy should address appropriate mechanisms for supporting the broader transition experience of these students. Keywords: first-year university, retention, academic performance, pre-university enabling programs, transition, equity Introduction Equitable access to and participation in higher education (HE) has featured as a key policy imperative since the transition from elite to mass HE systems in most developed countries (Trow, 2007).Pre-university enabling programs, referred to by a variety of names such as “bridging courses, university preparation courses, foundation courses and pathway courses”(Hodges et al., 2013) became a key strategy in boosting the representation of non-traditional students in HE in Australia and abroad (Agosti & Bernat, 2018).These programs are diverse in nature (e.g.length, delivery method, institution/teaching environment) but typically target students that have experienced educational disadvantage or disruption within the local communities that they serve.They also share a common aim of enabling a second chance for university access and participation by providing the necessary preparation and requisites First-year university retention and academic performance of non-traditional 169 students entering via an Australian pre-university enabling program for entry.In Australia, the rise in the popularity of these programs was facilitated by national policy intervention and substantial investment by the Australian government from 2008 onwards in order to meet‘widening participation’targets identified by Bradley, Noonan, Nugent, & Scales (2008) for equity, economic and social justice reasons.As a result, by 2013 more than 27 Australian universities offered at least 35 enabling programs (Hodges et al., 2013), with the number of student enrolments and pr

FAQs

What enabling program and student cohort does the paper focus on?

The study examines Murdoch University students who entered between 2014 and 2016 through successful completion of the OnTrack enabling program.

How do OnTrack pathway students perform in first-year retention compared with other pathways?

OnTrack entrants were retained at a rate similar to or better than students entering through other admission pathways, even though their academic performance was poorer.

What do the regression results suggest about factors predicting student outcomes?

Admission pathway, demographic, and enrolment factors collectively explain very little of the variation in first-year outcomes, indicating academic underperformance may be driven by student variables not captured in university databases.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aran