NSO Annual Report 2024-25

The National Student Ombudsman is pleased to release its first Annual Report. The report shares detailed data and information about common complaint issues and shines a light on individual student experiences.

We opened our doors to students on 1 February and within 15 mins we received our first complaint. By June 30 this number had grown to 1,470. As the Annual Report outlines, the number and variety of complaints show that the challenges higher education students face are as diverse as the sector itself.

The most frequent complaint issue was course administration, followed by teaching and learning, and unmet academic requirement or misconduct matters. These three issues constituted 71% of complaints we received in our first five months. Fees and other financial issues, and discrimination, racism, or inadequate support were the fourth and fifth most common complaint issues.

A consistent issue raised by students was that they didn’t feel that their provider had listened to them. Students also told us that their providers:

• communications could be clearer,
• support services strengthened,
• systems made fairer.

Positively, we’ve seen providers holding themselves accountable for things that have gone wrong, apologising to students and taking the opportunity to improve their services through simplifying processes, improving communication, and training staff in approaches that emphasise empathy and respect for students.

For the NSO itself, it’s been a period of rapid growth and adaptation. It’s a significant achievement to design and fully utilise all our complaints handling methods including early resolution, investigations, restorative engagement and conciliation functions. In addition to this, we directed our effort to:

• raise awareness of the NSO,
• listen deeply to students and the sector regarding their respective views and challenges
• establish strong and effective relationships with other higher education oversight entities.

We know that not all students feel comfortable making a complaint. We also know that one complaint can often represent the views of many. To the students who have come forward so far, thank you for your trust. Know that your experiences have been fundamental to us building our understanding of what matters to students, shining a light on areas of concern and contributing to systemic reform.

It’s clearly a complex time for the higher education sector, amid significant change. We are grateful for the goodwill from across the sector as we work towards our collective goal of a more inclusive and equitable higher education sector, in line with the vision set out in the Australian Universities Accord.