Study in Australia

Australian Education System

Australia offers a diverse range of study options for international students, with more than 1,200 institutions and over 22,000 courses to choose from. You can study at all levels of education from primary and secondary school, to vocational education and training (VET), from English language courses to higher education (including universities). And regardless of what you are studying or how long you are studying for, Australia’s laws promote quality education and protection for international students.

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. You can search for courses and institutions here on the Study in Australia website.

Main University Qualifications

Undergraduate Courses

Postgraduate Courses

Average Australian University Fees

The costs of studying in Australia depend on the institution and the level of study you choose.

As an international student, your tuition fees are payable before you study. You can use the Course Search on this website to find courses and see details such as their tuition fees. There may be additional costs for your course, including course materials and access to institution facilities. 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
• Vocational Education and Training (Certificates I to IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma) – $4,000 to $22,000
• Undergraduate Bachelor Degree – $15,000 to $33,000*
• Postgraduate Masters Degree – $20,000 to $37,000*
• Doctoral Degree – $14,000 to $37,000*

Living costs in Australia

Knowing the average living costs in Australia is an important part of your financial preparation. For your reference, here are some of the costs associated with living and studying in Australia. (All costs are in Australian dollars.)

Accommodation

 

• Hostels and Guesthouses – $80 to $135 per week
• Shared Rental – $70 to $250 per week
• On campus – $80 to $250 per week
• Homestay – $110 to $270 per week
• Rental – $100 to $400 per week
• Boarding schools – $10,000 to $20,000 a year

Minimum Cost of Living

 

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has financial requirements you must meet in order to receive a student visa. Below is a guide on the requirements you must meet to study in Australia:

• You – $20,290
• Your partner – $7,100
• Your first child – $3,040
• Every other child – $2,790

Other living Expenses

 

• Groceries and eating out – $80 to $200 per week
• Gas, electricity – $60 to $100 per week
• Phone and Internet – $20 to $50 per week
• Public transport – $10 to $50 per week
• Car (after purchase) – $150 to $250 per week
• Entertainment – $50 to $100 per week

Working in Australia as an international student

Working while you study in Australia can help complement your study and living experience. There are a number of reasons you might want to undertake part time work while studying in Australia, including assisting with living expenses and gaining work experience in your study area.

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. Find out more at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection(opens in a new window)

Paid Work

 

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.

Internships

 

Paid or unpaid internships can be a great way to get exposure to the professional, financial and creative industries. Learn more about getting an internship on the Internships page in the Education System section of this website.

Volunteering

There are many charities and non-government organisations (NGOs) in Australia and they always need volunteers to help out. It can be a great way to meet friends, get some hands on work experience and give back to the community. To find out more about volunteering, start your search at: http://www.govolunteer.com.au

Your Rights

 

Everyone working in Australia, including international students or those on working holiday visas, have basic rights at work. These rights protect entitlement to:

• A minimum wage.
• Challenge of unfair dismissal from the job
• Breaks and rest periods.
• A healthy and safe work environment.

Most employers in Australia are covered by an ‘award’, which sets minimum wages and conditions for a given field of work or industry. To find out more about your work rights visit the Australian Government’s Fair Work(opens in a new window) website.

You will also need to get a tax file number to work in Australia. Visit the Australian Taxation Office(opens in a new window) website to find out more information on getting a tax file number, as well as information about paying taxes in Australia.

Finding Work

There are plenty of ways to find work that suits you, including:

• Newspapers and online job sites.
• Some institutions provide job notice-boards on campus and online. Contact your institution’s international student support staff to find out what options your institution offers.
• Register your details at a recruitment firm; many of them help place people in casual or short-term work.

University Intakes in Australia

Learn more about intake dates, application deadlines, student visas and English language requirements before applying to an Australian University or College.

• Main intake in February each year with a second intake in July (some providers also have an October intake too)
• Application deadline for February intake is Nov/Dec – earlier for more competitive courses

Future Advisers provides free, independent, expert service for students willing to study in Austalia. We offer advice and counselling to help you choose the right course, at the right university, and are then responsible for guiding you through the entire application process, from making an application to accepting an offer of place. We also provide free assistance with practicalities including student accommodation and student visas.

Application Process

 

Once you’ve decided on a course and an institution, it’s time to apply for admission. The first step is to apply for the course you want. There are two ways to apply:

•  Direct to the education provider

To apply direct, download the application form from the education provider’s website.If you are applying for courses at more than one institution, you will need to submit a separate application to each institution.

• Through an education agent

Future Advisers is working with most of the institutions . For further details please book your free consultation and Future Advisers endeavour to provide the answer of every question.

 

General Entry Requirements for Undergraduate Study

 

To apply for an undergraduate course at the University level in Austalia, you need to meet certain requirements – these are known as the minimum eligibility criteria. Basically you need to:

• Have an acceptable senior secondary qualification from your high school (or completed at least one full-time year in a bachelor degree or equivalent qualification at a recognised tertiary institution)
• Have achieved certain grades in your senior secondary studies or accepted tertiary studies
• Meet the English language requirements
• Meet any special entry requirements such as health or security checks or submission of a portfolio
• Have the Assumed Knowledge for your course. While there are no prerequisites for our courses, we do expect you to know or have studied subjects relevant to your course before you begin your course.

 

General Entry Requirements for Postgraduate Study

 

• Demonstrate you have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, certificate and/or relevant work experience
• Satisfy any other program-specific requirements

 

Proof of English Proficiency

 

• IELTS Academic English Overall Band 6.5
• P-TOEFL (Paper Bases) Overall Score 570
• I-TOEFL (Internet Based) Overall Score 83
• Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic) Overall Score 64

How to Get an Australian Student Visa

If you intend to study in Australia, you will need to apply for the Student visa (subclass 500).

You can apply for the following types of study on this visa:

• English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
• school – primary or secondary
• secondary school exchange program
• vocational Education and Training (VET) courses –a registered VET course or a registered course for the award of an advanced diploma
• higher education courses –a bachelor or associate degree, a graduate certificate or graduate diploma, a masters degree by coursework or a higher education diploma or advanced diploma
• postgraduate Research degrees –a masters degree by research or a doctoral degree
• non-award courses – non-award foundation studies courses or components of a course that do not lead to an award
• students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Trade or the Department of Defence.

You may be able to package your courses if you would like to study more than one course. This is known as course packaging.

Here’s a quick checklist of what it takes to get an Australian student visa:

Acceptance on a Course

Australian visa requirements for students mean you must first be accepted to study a course which is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions of Courses (CRICOS). You’ll need an online code and a copy of your confirmation of enrolment or an offer letter to serve as proof of this. You will be able to change course afterwards, but it must be to one of the same level, or else you will need to be apply for a new visa.

Proof of Finances

If you need to provide evidence of financial capacity, you will be able to demonstrate this by providing one of the following:

• evidence of funds to cover travel to Australia and 12 months’ living, course and (for school-aged dependants) schooling costs for the student and accompanying family members
• evidence that you meet the annual income requirement
• an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form (secondary exchange students only)
• a letter of support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Department of Defence.

Twelve months’ funds option

Evidence of funds can include money deposits, financial institution or government loans, scholarships or sponsorships.

Annual income option

The annual income option requires a student to provide evidence of personal annual income of at least AUD 60,000. For students accompanied by family members, the requirement is at least AUD 70,000. The income demonstrated must be the personal income of your spouse (who is not coming with you) or parents. Where both of your parents are working, their combined income can be considered for this requirement. Evidence must be in the form of official government documents such as tax assessments. Evidence in the form of bank statements or information directly from an employer is not acceptable.

Living costs

From 1 July 2016, the 12 month living cost is:

• student or guardian –  AUD 19,830
• partner or spouse – AUD 6,940
• child – AUD 2,970.

Medical check-ups/ Health Insurance

You may be required to take a medical and/or a radiological check-up to show that you are in good health, but you shouldn’t do this unless you are specifically advised that you must. If you are told to take a test then you must attend an appointment with a doctor who has been approved by the Australian immigration department.

You are also obliged to purchase Overseas Student Health Cover – OSHC – unless you are from Belgium, Norway or Sweden, though Swedes must be covered by CSN or Kammarkollegiet for this to apply. You may purchase this cover through your university, or directly from one of the five approved providers. These are Australian Health Management, BUPA Australia, Medibank Private, OSHC Worldwide and nib OSHC. The cost of this insurance is A$437 for a single person for a year, which is around US$300.

Proof of English proficiency

If you need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency, we will accept the following minimum English language test score:

English language test providers	Minimum test score	Minimum test score where combined with at least 10 weeks ELICOS	Minimum test score where combined with at least 20 weeks ELICOS
International English Language Testing System	5.5	5	4.5
*Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper based	527	500	450
TOEFL internet based test	46	35	32
Cambridge English: Advanced (Certificate in Advanced English)	162	154	147
Pearson Test of English Academic	42	36	30
Occupational English Test	Pass**	N/A	N/A

*The TOEFL paper based test will only be accepted from limited countries

Criminal record checks

You will also need to show that you don’t have a substantial criminal record, and your past and present conduct must not suggest you will engage in criminal activity or incite discord in Australia. You may need to acquire penal clearance or get a police statement for this purpose. You will also need to declare fidelity to Australian values by signing an Australian Values Statement.

Apply for Student Visa

You must apply for this visa online.

You can apply when you are in or outside Australia.

After you have gathered and scanned the documents that support your application, create an account and apply for your student visa with our online application system – ImmiAccount.

You must pay the application fee when you apply or your application will not be valid.

More information is available about how to pay.

 

Travel, Tuition and Living Expenses

 

The table below outlines the amounts in Australian dollars (AUD) that you need access to. These amounts are the minimum required for this visa. They do not necessarily represent the cost of living in Australia.

The department must be satisfied that an applicant, once in Australia, will have genuine access to the funds they claim to possess to cover the travel, tuition and living costs for themselves and their family members.

You must have enough money to pay for travel, tuition and living expenses for yourself, your partner and your dependent children for the duration of your stay in Australia.

 

You must:

• Show Proof that you can meet these financial requirements for the first 12 months of your stay in Australia.
• Note: If you have completed 75 percent of your course and are applying for a subsequent student visa, you do not need to show your savings history.
• Declare on your application that you can meet these financial requirements for the remainder of your stay in Australia.

 

Evidence of Maintenance Funds

 

The money to support you and your family members must come from one or more acceptable sources, which may include:

• A money deposit with a financial institution held by you, or an eligible family member, for at least three consecutive months immediately before the date of your visa application
• A loan from a financial institution made to you or an eligible family member
• A loan from your government
• Your proposed education provider
• The Australian Government or an Australian State or Territory government
• The government of a foreign country
• A provincial or state government of a foreign country that has the written support of the national government of the foreign country
• An organisation gazetted by the Minister
• An acceptable non-profit organisation
• A multilateral agency.

 

Note: An eligible family member includes:

• the applicant
• the applicant’s partner
• the applicant’s parents
• the applicant’s grandparents
• the applicant’s brothers or sisters
• an uncle or aunt of the applicant who is:
  • an Australian citizen, and Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen and
  • usually resident in Australia.

 

English Language Skills for Student Visa

 

The table below outlines the English language skills you require and the evidence you must provide to be granted your first student visa or a subsequent student visa.

 

IELTS Requirement

 

You must provide test results of one of the following:

a) International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Certificate IELTS test score of:

• 6.0 or above for direct entry into a course; or
• 5.5 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
• 5.0 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.

Note: You can take the Academic or General IELTS test to meet English Language requirements for a student visa. However, please check with your Australian education provider about which test they require for your enrolment.

 

TOFEL

 

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) Certificate

TOEFL iBT score of:

• 60 or above for direct entry into a course; or
• 46 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
• 35 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.

c) Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic Certificate

PTE Academic score of:

• 50 or above for direct entry into a course; or
• 42 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
• 36 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.

 

Cambridge English

 

Advanced (CAE) Certificate CAE test score of:

• 52 or above for direct entry into a course; or47 to do a foundation course (but no ELICOS) to be taken before your main course; or
• 41 with an ELICOS course to be taken before your main course. You can study a preliminary English course for up to 30 weeks.

 

Occupational English Test (OET) Certificate