Private colleges around Australia offering last-minute discounts for diploma allegedly ‘misused by shonks’

Ads posted to social media and shared among immigration education agents and students in recent days encouraged students to join the graduate diploma of management (learning) or expedite their start date before cancellation on 5 October. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA

Private colleges are offering discounts to rush students into a diploma the federal government is cancelling over concerns it is being “misused by shonks”.

The government announced in early September it would deregister the graduate diploma of management (learning) which it suspected was being used by “non-genuine” students to remain in Australia. The course is taught by close to 450 institutions, has over 15,000 students studying currently and more than 40,000 students registered for future enrolment following completion of a different vocational course.