The nature of higher education institutions is changing, primarily as a result of reduced government financial support for the sector. Fiscal restraint towards education funding has been observed in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the UK and much of Europe. There has been steady growth in demand for higher education but reduced capacity by governments to fund it. Increasingly, students are required to contribute to the cost of their own education. Although these trends are problematic for higher education institutions that have been reliant previously upon government funding, it has also created an opportunity for those that are able to fill the gap between supply and demand for higher education services.