Why Australia?

Australia is the 3rd most popular education destination which offers approximately 22,000 courses across 11,000 instructions. It offers a worldly recognized world-class education from globally recognized top ranking universities and college. Institutions in Australia offer a wide variety of course and degrees which provide a unique kind of education and learning style that encourages one to be innovative, creative and think independently.

Australia is one of the most culturally diverse country in the world, with a large number of international students. The multitude of culture helps students to develop their personality and practical self-according to different cultural scenario. Studying in multicultural environment will be beneficial to international students. Students can get an opportunity to be friend with people following different culture and tradition. Studying with people from all over the world can be an exciting journey for the students as they can expand their knowledge about different culture, tradition and language.

Australia offers work opportunities to international students. In Australia, international students can work up to 40 hours per fourth night during their student visa period, which will support students to cover up their living expenses and college/university fees. After their graduation students can offer for post study work visa which will helps students to generate a few dollars.

Australian government invest more than $200 million Australian dollar annually as a scholarship which helps students easier to pursue Australian degree. Among 30 best cities in the world, Australia covers 5 cities based on students mix, affordability, quality of life, employer activity etc. The main reason for student's interest and priority to study in Australia is due to its secure education to study. Australia has low crime rate in comparison to other country. Therefore, they can fully concentrate on their study and have peaceful state of mind without getting worried about their life.

Moreover, Australia has international student friendly policies. The ESOS (Education Services for Overseas Students) Act secures the rights of international students by giving genuine information of universities and giving quality education through them. ESOS also provides Tuition Protection Service (TPS) for international students that provide tuition fee assurance and refunds for international students in cases of cancellation of certificate of enrollment, visa cancellation and if the university cannot provide the desired course for the student. Health Insurance which is called Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC) is another important part of Australian government to help international students in their country. So, ESOS Act, Tuition Protection Service (TPS) guarantee the right of international students regarding their right to get education.

Australia offers more than 1,200 institutions and over 22,000 courses, a truly diverse range of study options for its International students. All universities and colleges in Australia that accept international students must be CRICOS registered, to meet the requirements set out in the National Code of Practice which was set up to protect the interests of international students studying on Australian soil.

That is why, as an international student on a student visa, you must study with an institution and in a course that is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the institution at which you study meet the high standards expected by international students.

Australia provides protection to international students via many consumer protection and support services available for international students. This includes services provided directly by institutions as well as those provided by a range of state, territory and federal government departments.

Regardless of what you are studying or how long you are studying for, Australia's laws promote quality education and protection for international students. (Read more: Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000, National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007).

Along with the ESOS Act and National Code, other regulatory and quality assurance organisations for higher education and VET institutions are responsible for registration/re-registration of institutions and accreditation/re-accreditation of courses.

Living in Australia

Generally, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection requires $18,610 as the minimum cost of living to issue a student visa. Your living expenses in Australia will depend highly on which region you plan to live in. For example, more urbanized areas will have higher costs for accommodation. The type of accommodation is also important. Hostels and guesthouses range from $80 to $135 a week, while shared rentals and on-campus accommodation will cost $70 to $250. More expensive options are homestay ($110 to $270 per week) and rental ($100 to $400 per week).

Aside from accommodation, your weekly expenses will most likely include groceries or eating out ($80 to $200), gas and electricity ($60 to $100), phone and internet ($20 to $50), public transport ($10 to $50) and entertainment ($50 to $100).

Working while you study in Australia can help complement your study and living experience. Most student visas allow you to work for up to 40 hours every two weeks while your course is in session, and unrestricted hours during any scheduled course break, but before you undertake any paid work you need to make sure your visa allows you to work. (Read more Department of Immigration and Border Protection) You will also need to get a tax file number to work in Australia. Visit the Australian Taxation Office website to find out more information on getting a tax file number, as well as information about paying taxes in Australia.

Working in Australia

Australia has a wide range of industries and many have part time employment opportunities, including:

Retail - supermarkets, department and clothing stores.
Hospitality - cafes, bars and restaurants.
Tourism - hotels and motels.
Agricultural - farming and fruit-picking.
Sales and telemarketing.
Administration or Clerical roles.
Tutoring.

If you have existing qualifications and/or professional work experience, you may be able to secure casual or part time work in your field.

Test Requirements

International Students will need to meet the English language requirement to apply for a student visa. Some student visa applicants may need to provide the results of an English language test with their visa application.

Visa requirements

The student visa you need depends on your chosen course of study. As a guide, the typical key requirements you will need to meet are:

Issued an electronic Confirmation of Enrollment (eCoE) certificate. Meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement. Read more about this on the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (opens in a new window) website. Sufficient funds for airfares, course fees and living costs. English language proficiency. Meet health and character requirements. Acceptable Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

Cost Of Study

Australia uses Australian Dollar or AUD as its currency.

As it is a very popular study destination, applying for scholarships in Australia is highly competitive. If you are planning to finance your studies yourself, you should be aware of the costs associated with studying and living in this destination.

As with most other countries, the cost of education in Australia is dependent on the type and duration of your studies.

The list below gives you an indication of the range of course costs for different types of qualifications.

School - $7,800 to $30,000
English language studies - Around $300 per week depending on course length
Undergraduate Bachelor Degree - $15,000 to $33,000*
Postgraduate Masters Degree - $20,000 to $37,000*
Doctoral Degree - $14,000 to $37,000*

Note: This does not include high value courses such as veterinary and medical. Please visit institution websites directly to see costs for these courses.

Scholarship information

The Australian Government and Australian Universities provide a large number of scholarships for international students wanting to study in Australia.

Study in Australia

Australia