A new national report from the Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success says universities could better support students by drawing on lessons from Indigenous education and regional study models.

Published by ACSES at Curtin University, Equity Insights 2026: Understanding student realities and redesigning systems for success examines the pressures affecting university students and practical ways institutions can respond.

The report brings together university leaders, students, regulators and equity specialists and examines issues including financial hardship, food insecurity, racism, disability, mental health, caring responsibilities and regional disadvantage.

Wardandi Noongar and Yamatji man and Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Professor Jonathan Bullen, said many challenges long experienced by Indigenous students were increasingly affecting the wider student population.

Indigenous students have long balanced study with financial pressures, cultural obligations, community responsibilities and experiences of exclusion, providing lessons for universities supporting students with complex lives and competing demands.

Professor Bullen said university systems needed to better reflect the circumstances in which students lived and studied.

"The Indigenous student experience shows the sector what happens when university systems do not reflect the conditions in which people actually live and study," Professor Bullen said.

"The approaches developed in Indigenous education should not be viewed simply as specialised support for one cohort: they represent valuable knowledge about how universities can create more flexible, responsive and inclusive conditions for all students.

"This is not about lowering academic standards, it's about ensuring the challenge comes from learning itself, rather than avoidable barriers created by the way study is structured."

A recurring theme in the report is that pressures previously associated with particular equity groups are increasingly becoming part of the broader student experience.

Regional study models are also highlighted as one way universities can address barriers affecting students outside metropolitan areas.

National Regional University Study Hub data included in the report shows 42 per cent of registered students are the first in their family to attend university and 10 per cent are First Nations students.

The data also shows 57 per cent are aged over 25 and one in five have parent or carer responsibilities.

The report found 20 per cent of students surveyed had considered stopping their studies because of workload, employment, health or caring pressures.

Geraldton Universities Centre Director, Natalie Nelmes, said regional students often faced pressures that were not visible from metropolitan university campuses.

"Regional students are every bit as capable and ambitious as metropolitan students, but they often face additional pressures that universities may not see from a central campus," Ms Nelmes said.

"Regional study hubs provide trusted, local support that helps students navigate complex systems, stay connected to their studies and access assistance when they need it most.

"By working more closely with regional communities and support networks, universities can design services that better reflect how regional students actually live and learn."

ACSES Research and Policy Program Director and report editor, Professor Ian Li, said improving student success required universities to understand what students experienced outside the classroom.

"This publication brings together evidence, lived experience and practical examples from across the higher education sector," Professor Li said.

"While the pressures facing students are significant, the report also shows there are effective responses already emerging across Australia.

"The experiences of Indigenous and regional students do more than identify disadvantage: they help reveal where systems create unnecessary barriers and point towards practical solutions that can benefit all learners."

Equity Insights 2026 was released alongside the 2026 ACSES Awards, which recognise individuals and initiatives working to advance equity and student success across Australian higher education.

Among the award recipients was the Dilin Duwa Centre for Indigenous Business Leadership, led by Professor Michelle Evans at the University of Melbourne.

Since 2021 the centre has combined Indigenous business research and education with work aimed at informing government policy and strengthening connections between students, researchers, communities, policymakers and industry.

Its programs focus on Indigenous leadership, connections to Country and regional communities, and building economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians.