Despite federal and state efforts to crack down on unethical private training colleges, vulnerable students are still being 'harassed' into debt and dodgy courses, a Senate inquiry has been told.

The inquiry heard of a Vietnamese-speaking salesperson who in April approached Vietnamese students studying English at the Yarraville Community Centre, signing up seven students to a diploma in business.

Students accrued huge debts from a course that a salesperson told them was free, the inquiry was told. Credit:Tamara Voninski

The students were told the course was free, and promised an electronic tablet and smartphone, according to Yarraville Community Centre manager Chris McCall.

They were also asked to bring their passports, visas and tax file numbers to a Footscray pharmacy for verification as part of the enrolment process.