Unique International College, above Silly Willy's $2 shop in Granville. On Friday, the Federal Court found the college's use of gifts, including laptops and iPads, was part of a system of conduct used to "supercharge the exploitation of the disadvantaged group that was being targeted (and also Unique's remarkable profits)". The court also found Unique's marketing deliberately targeted people from disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including Aboriginal communities. The Granville college's Indigenous enrolment rate was four times higher than what national data reflected, while its enrolment rate in the lowest socio-economic areas was more than double the national rate. "We, at the ACCC have a permanent focus on people seeking to exploit Indigenous consumers. It's one of our enduring priorities – and we don't have many," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.

Former chief executive of Unique International College Amarjit Singh outside the NSW Law Courts in Sydney last year. Credit:Janie Barrett "In Unique's case there were two classes of people: one that was simply asked to sign if they wanted a free iPad. They had no intention of completing a course. The other class were sold a dream of what their life could be if they got educated, only to have that fall apart." Mr Sims said Unique misled people by stating that the course was free, while others were illiterate or wholly unaware they were being enrolled in the scheme by the college. The Kenthurst property formerly owned by Unique International College. Credit:Domain "We will be pushing very hard to get those [consumer] debts forgiven ... It is extremely unfair for people to burdened with this debt for life."

Fairfax Media has previously detailed the rise of the one-room campus in Granville and its colourful chief executive officer Amarjit Khela (who goes by the name Amarjit Singh). It was under the directorship of Mr Khela that Unique grew its enrolment base from 177 students in 2008, to 4677 by 2015. The $5.8 million Kenthurst property he purchased in the company's name, replete with a 12-car garage, billiard room, beauty salon and cinema has been well-documented in the media. Court documents reveal that, in the financial year ending June 2013, Unique's audited accounts had a total revenue of $1,702,612 and a net profit after tax of just over $40,000. By February the following year, Unique began to receive a monthly payment of just over $49,731, which was rapidly superseded by another approval for a monthly instalment of $2,475,000, or $29,700,000 annually.

In his judgment, Justice Nye Perram said the 17-fold increase in revenue "must have been an extraordinary development in the life of the company," but added that it did "not appear to have caused even a ripple at the department". Justice Perram has previously criticised the VET-FEE Help scheme, acknowledging last year that it was "hard to avoid, whoever put this scheme together did not think it through very much". Unique was one of many unscrupulous colleges to use the program as a get rich quick scheme. The regulator is awaiting judgment in similar matters against colleges AIPE and Empower and Phoenix Institute, while education broker Acquire Learning was recently handed a $4.5 million penalty for breaches of consumer law. Mr Stowe said the Unique judgment would have some relevance in the ongoing matters, but each case would stand on its own facts.

"The VET-FEE Help scheme design was appalling. And it did allow people to exploit vulnerable consumers. It was a scheme you could drive a truck though," he said. "But that in no way excuses those who drove trucks through the loopholes. There is no excuse for the behaviour of Unique." - with Eryk Bagshaw