Getting into uni 'confusing': professor

Students are rightly confused by university entrance schemes, the man charged with shaking-up the system says.

The head of the Higher Educations Standards Panel has been asked by the federal government to canvas options to improve how students are accepted into higher education.

Some school leavers are taken on their ATAR scores, others because of school recommendations or interviews.

"The question here is not to stop this happening but to make it transparent," Professor Peter Shergold told ABC radio on Thursday.

The existing system was opaque, ambiguous and confused and, intentionally or not, having a minimum ATAR requirement was misleading.

"We've got to put the student first and putting the student first means it's got to be clear."

Prof Shergold estimates only a third of students are admitted on their ATAR scores.

He denies he is proposing national cut-offs, but wants transparency across the country.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said he wants to understand how best to achieve the transparency students need and want.

"Feedback we often hear from students who change courses or leave altogether is that they picked the wrong course, or didn't realise there were other ways to get into the course of their choice," he said.

Senator Birmingham, who was targeted by student protesters at the University of Sydney debate on Wednesday night, said submissions should be received by May 27.

The debate on university entry standards follows the release of Parliamentary Budget Office analysis predicting the cost of student debt will climb to $11 billion within a decade, partly due to the government's plan to deregulate course fees.

Opposition finance spokesman Tony Burke conceded the figures also take into account Labor's decision to open up loans to vocational education, but told ABC radio it was a "bizarre own-goal" by the coalition whose fees proposal increased debt instead of saving money.

Senator Birmingham has described the Gillard government's decision to include the VET fee help program as irresponsible.