What happens when supply lags behind demand? Disadvantaged students and the ever increasing competition for university places

Competition for entry to university has escalated in Australia over the past decade. This rise in competition is attributable to a number of factors, a major one being that the provision of university places has not kept pace with growth in the population of university-aged persons. Using the city of Melbourne as a case study, this article highlights the impact that rising competition for university has had on two disadvantaged groups; those from the Government school sector and those from areas of low socioeconomic status. It finds that the opportunities for university entrance among tertiary applicants in these two groups diminished substantially between 1996 and 2004. In particular, this was because of the rising academic entrance requirements at some of the more 'academically accessible' university campuses, which previously provided an opportunity for many educationally disadvantaged students.