The Courier Mail reports that Qld, Auditor-General Glenn Poole warns universities about being over-dependent on overseas fee payers. Growth in overseas student enrolments has been slowing down. While numbers remain strong, the sector is facing increased competition as other countries try to capitalise on what is a lucrative export industry.

China is building English-language universities, a move that could blunt an important advantage Australia enjoys in the south-east Asian region where students are keen to improve their English. Australia faces keen competition, too, from international institutions such as the University of Phoenix with a vast online academic community of more than 200,000 students and 17,000 academics in north America alone.