Students saddled with thousands of dollars of course fees will have their public debt reversed, after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission successfully pursued one of the nation's largest college networks for $44 million.

On Monday, Careers Australia, which has campuses in the Sydney and Melbourne CBDs as well as Parramatta, admitted it had breached Australian consumer law and "engaged in unconscionable conduct" while it enrolled students in some of the poorest, most remote communities in Australia into thousands of dollars of debt.

According to the ACCC, the conduct included misrepresenting that the courses were free, that they would lead to employment, and offering inducements such as iPads.

ACCC chairman Rod Sims said it was unacceptable that Careers Australia enrolled consumers from a remote Aboriginal community but did not alert them to the debts they would incur.