If you are considering to study abroad in 2023, then Australia should be on top of you list. And no, we are not just saying it in a cliché, but there are 9 important reasons behind it.
So, in this article, we are talking about the Top 9 reasons to study in Australia in 2023 and what it means for the international students.
Let’s discuss them!
1. Unlimited work hours
International students are currently allowed to work unlimited work hours in Australia.
There are no restrictions on the amount of hours you can do while studying until 30th June 2023.
After 30th June 2023, the work restrictions for international students will come back into force. Which students could be once again limited to 40 hours per fortnight work limit.
But while the option is available, why not take full advantage of those work hours. It’s very rare that this sort of opportunity comes. No other country has unrestricted work hours for international students.
We compared Australia with top destinations for international students: Canada, UK, USA for work hours; check the difference among all of them here.
2. Increase in post-study work visa timeframes
The Australian government will increase the post-study work visa for international students studying in the areas of verified skill shortages.
Currently, international students doing a Bachelor’s degree get a Post Study work visa for 2 years, Masters students 3 years and PhD students 4 years respectively.
But as per the update, it will increase from two years to four years for select Bachelor’s degrees, from three years to five years for select Master’s degrees and from four years to six years for select PhDs.
We are expecting more details on this increase in timeframes soon.
3. Increase in skilled migration cap
The Australian Government has increased the skilled migration cap for the financial year 2022-23.
Previously it was 160,000 places, but it has been increased to 195,000 for this financial year.
It means more visa holders who are eligible under the skilled migration program can apply for permanent residence.
4. Low unemployment rate
Australia has recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates even during the dark days of the pandemic.
Currently, the unemployment rate is at 3.5% (August 2022), one of the lowest in recent history.
Low unemployment in the country is significant for international students as it means they can easily find part-time jobs in Australia while studying.
5. High wages
Australia has the highest minimum wages in the world (Graph below: Minimum Wages (Source: Statista)
From the 1st July 2022, it is $21.38 per hour.
And the recent study also shows that Australians are the richest people in the world. (See the graph below)
So, what it means for international students is that they can earn decent wages even doing part-time jobs in Australia.
Another huge plus with the low unemployment rate.
6. New government focus on longer term migration
New Labour government (which was elected in May 2022 during the federal election) is focused on long term migration rather than short term migration. More details here.
As mentioned by the Education minister, only 16% of international students stay back in Australia after their studies compared to 27% in Canada.
That means the Australian Government is keen to change that and make more students stay longer in the country.
And provide pathways for workers on temporary visas to stay longer, or transition to permanent visas and international students are likely to benefit from it.
7. Fully Funded Scholarships
Many Australian institutions and the government are offering fully-funded scholarships to international students.
Some of the popular ones include
Australia Awards,
Deakin Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship
Monash International Leadership Scholarship
UTS Vice-Chancellor’s International Undergraduate Scholarship
Vice-Chancellor’s Social Champion Scholarship
You can check more fully-funded scholarships on our website here.
8. Government incentives
Some states governments like Western Australia are also giving incentives to international students to entice international students to study with them.
These incentives will provide
$1,500 for up to 2,500 eligible students to offset accommodation expenses while studying full-time in WA in Semester 2, 2022; and
ISEB – $1,500 for up to 2,000 eligible international students to offset fees when undertaking an approved ELICOS course in Western Australia.
And if you are willing to study in a regional Western Australia with Tafe Western Australian, then you can get $5000 for studying, working and living there. More details here.
9. Most Liveable and Best Student Cities
Many Australian cities usually ranks well in the Global Liveability Index.
As per the Global Liveability Index 2022, many Australian cities make it to the Top 50 liveable cities in the world.
Here is a quick list of the most liveable cities in Australia with their world ranks in 2022:
Melbourne – 10th
Brisbane – 27th
Adelaide – 30th
Perth – 32nd
Also, as per the QS Best Student Cities for 2023, many Australian cities ranks in the Top 100. Here Australian cities with their ranks:
Melbourne – 5th
Sydney – 9th
Brisbane – 24th
Adelaide – 31st
Perth – 34th
Canberra – 35th
Gold Coast – 93rd
So, these are our Top 9 reasons to study in Australia 2023. What’s yours? Leave a comment or reach us via DM here.
Let’s be honest, studying abroad can be an expensive affair.
But thankfully, there are fully funded scholarships in Australia that can help you cover all of your tuition fee expenses. And some of them even go beyond that and cover your living expenses, health insurance, travel airfares as well.
So, if this sounds interesting, then read on as we are covering Top fully funded scholarships in Australia for international students
1. Australia Awards
Australia Awards is the Australian government’s prestigious fully-funded scholarship that is offered to exceptional students from developing nations to study in Australia.
Australia Awards scholarship covers not only the tuition fee, but it also covers airfares, living costs, Overseas Students Health Cover and any allied expenses related to the studies.
In order to be eligible for this scholarship, students must have an exceptional academic background, should be a citizen of the participating country and return to their home country after completing the course. To learn about the other eligibility criteria and application process, check the link below.
🏫 Organisation offering – Australian Government
📖 Study Levels – All (Certificates to PhD level)
💰 What’s covered:
Tuition Fee – 100%
Airfares
Living costs
OSHC
Allied Expenses
✅ Eligible Countries: Participating countries only
Research Training Program (RTP) is another Australian government fully-funded scholarship that students can apply to study in Australia.
As the name suggests, this scholarship is for research-based training programs and is limited to research-oriented Masters and Doctorate programs only.
RTP scholarship provides a tuition fee offset for the course, and it matches the fee charged by the institution. In addition to that, OSHC expenses are covered and provide living stipends as well for the successful applicants.
🏫 Organisation offering – Australian Government
📖 Study Levels – Postgraduate (research based only) – 2 years Masters and 3 years PhD
💰 What’s covered:
Tuition fee offset
Overseas Students Health Cover
Living Stipends
Allowances related to the ancillary cost of research degrees.
3. Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship
Deakin University’s Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship covers up to 100% of the tuition fee for international students.
International students who are planning to apply for this scholarship should meet the eligibility criteria of at least 85% average score in the previous studies along with meeting other requirements to study at Deakin University.
Those students who successfully get this scholarship will be required to participate in the Vice-Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program.
🏫 Organisation offering – Deakin University
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate & Postgraduate coursework
💰 What’s covered:
Tuition Fee – Up to 100%
Priority on-campus accommodation (at student’s own expense)
Another Deakin Universities’s scholarship that is fully funded for the international students who are coming from India only.
This scholarship covers 100% of the tuition fee for Indian students who are based in Indian and planning to study at Deakin University.
Applicants for this scholarship must be Indian citizens with a valid Indian Passport residing in India at the time of application and also meet the academic eligibility criteria (i.e. 85% overall in Year 12 scores of CBSE / ICSE / State Board; OR 80% in Undergraduate Degree).
Again, the successful applicants will be required to participate in the Vice-Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program.
🏫 Organisation offering – Deakin University
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate & Postgraduate coursework
💰 What’s covered:
Tuition Fee – 100%
Priority on-campus accommodation (at student’s own expense)
5. International Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship – 100%
This 100% scholarship from Deakin University provides students from certain South Asian countries with the opportunity to study the undergraduate or postgraduate course in university.
Students are expected to meet the eligibility criteria, including academic requirements like 85% scores in Year 12 or 80% scores in the undergraduate degree and other criteria for studying at Deakin University.
Successful students will be required to participate in the Vice-Chancellor’s Professional Excellence Program.
🏫 Organisation offering – Deakin University
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate & Postgraduate coursework
💰 What’s covered:
Tuition Fee – 100%
Priority on-campus accommodation (at student’s own expense)
Also known as Sir John Monash Fee Scholarship, this scholarship from Monash University covers 100% of the tuition fee for the successful students.
International students from any country are eligible to apply, and the applicants will be selected on the basis of high academic achievements, an application statement and their potential of becoming Monash ambassador.
🏫 Organisation offering – Monash University
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate & Postgraduate coursework
8. Monash International Tuition Scholarship (MITS)
Another fully funded scholarship offered by the Monash University that covers the tuition fee and single Overseas Student Health Cover policy.
This scholarship is only available for students undertaking research-based Masters and Doctorate degrees at the university.
International students from anywhere around the globe are encouraged to apply for this scholarship, with students expected to meet Monash university’s selection criteria and minimum English language requirements.
🏫 Organisation offering – Monash University
📖 Study Levels – Research Doctorate & Research Masters degrees
9. UTS Vice-Chancellor’s International Undergraduate Scholarship
University of Technology, Sydney is offering 100% scholarship to the students enrolling their undergraduate programs in Sydney.
This scholarship is covering 100% of the tuition fees for the duration of the course for prospective undergraduate students.
Like most other fully funded scholarships in Australia, this scholarship is also offered to international students with excellent academic backgrounds.
🏫 Organisation offering – University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
The University of Melbourne has a fully funded scholarship for the high-achieving students undertaking graduate research at the university.
The scholarship is only available for students of Master by Research and Research oriented Doctorate degrees.
This scholarship does not only remit 100% tuition fee but covers general living cost, living expenses and single Overseas Students Health Cover as well.
🏫 Organisation offering – The University of Melbourne
11. JCU Vice Chancellor’s International Student Scholarship
James Cook University’s Vice Chancellor’s International Student Scholarship provides international students up to $40,000 per year for the minimum course duration.
In effect, this could possibly cover all the tuition fees as the fees for some courses like MBA are less than $40,000 per year.
Application for this scholarship is through invitation only to students who are applying to study for eligible courses at the university with at least an 85% score in previous studies.
🏫 Organisation offering – James Cook University
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate & Postgraduate coursework
University of Canberra is providing an opportunity to international students who don’t have the resources to study overseas and demonstrate a commitment to social engagement, sustainability and reducing inequalities with a fully funded scholarships.
Applications are encouraged from the students:
live in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and South Asia.
don’t otherwise have the resources to finance international study.
do not have access to other significant scholarships e.g. Australia Awards
This scholarship provides up to $50,000 per year to the successful applicants which covers your tuition fee for the course and other expenses.
The applications are assessed by the university based on research potential and academic merit.
🏫 Organisation offering – University of Canberra
📖 Study Levels – Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses
Australian National University Research Scholarships are available for high achieving local and international students who are conducting research in line with university’s strategic direction. As this scholarship is merit based, students must have achieved H1 or H2 equivalent in their previous studies.
🏫 Organisation offering – Australian National University
📖 Study Levels – Research Master’s degree or Doctoral degree
If you are not eligible to get the above 100% scholarships, don’t lose heart as there are plenty of other scholarships available for international students. Some of the other popular ones are:
If you are planning to study in Australia, one thing that you have to consider is whether you want to apply for your educational institute by yourself or you want to apply through an education agent.
If you are self-assured and know exactly what you’re doing – for example, you know which university or institute you want to apply to, which course you want to study and how to apply for your student visa online – then you can complete the entire process on your own.
But if you’re not sure about any of this, then it’s a good idea to consult an education agent who can guide you through the whole process.
As per the latest data available from the Department of Education, in 2018, around 75% of the student enrollments were made by education agents.
So you can understand how important education agents are in Australia’s international education system.
In this article we are discussing everything you need to know about how to choose an education agent to study in Australia. We are covering details about:
What services do they provide, and what can’t they do?
The benefits of using their services.
The drawbacks of using them
How to choose the right education agent.
🔍 Services provided by Education Agents
Education Agents can provide multiple services to international students.
They can give you lots of information regarding study options, the universities you can choose from and other relevant information regarding studies.
Apart from studies, they also provide good information regarding life in Australia.
For example, helping you find accommodation, finding a job, what kind of insurance can you apply for, etc.
They can also help you apply for the institution of your choice and if you decide to apply for a scholarship, they can also help you with that.
Unless they are a registered migration agent, they can’t really apply for your student visa. However, they can assist you in applying for your student visa with a help of registered migration agent. Many education agents usually have tie-ups with various migration agencies for these purposes.
In Australia, if an education agent is not a registered migration agent, they cannot apply for your visa. However, the same cannot be said when your education agent is overseas.
✅ Benefits of using education agents
Let’s look at some benefits of using educational agents.
1.Expert Advice
Many educational agents usually have excellent knowledge of the Australian education system. They most likely have worked with hundreds of other students before you.
Sometimes you may not know about the local areas or various study options that you can actually choose from. Educational agents can help you with that.
2. Choosing The Right Course
A good educational consultant would usually understand the students’ personal interests and their needs before suggesting any course to them.
That’s another benefit of using them, as they can provide you with the right information about the right courses and the right institutions that meet your requirements and career.
3.Special Offers and Deals
Consider these educational agents as wholesalers. From time to time, universities, and educational institutes in Australia can give some special offers to these educational consultants.
They can actually get exclusive offers and can pass this on to their customers in the form of saving some money for them. So you could benefit from that as well.
4. Completing Application Forms
Completing the application form can be really challenging for some students and there could be confusion about what should I write in this column or what should I write in that box.
Educational consultants can actually help you to complete these application forms easily without much hassle.
5. Visa Application
A lot of educational consultants actually work with lots of registered migration agents to lodge your visa applications. And it’s usually a part of the services they offer to international students.
As a result, many people will benefit from this and avoid the hassle of applying for the visa on their own.
6. Support Services
Lots of educational consultants do not only have offices overseas, they also have offices in Australia as well.
This can be extremely beneficial to many international students, especially when they’re looking for support regarding jobs, accommodation, and many other things.
❌ Drawbacks of using education agents
1. Biased Opinions
As we know, most education agents make their money through the commissions they get from the educational institutes.
How much money they get will depend on the contract that they have with the educational institute.
To give you an idea, they could earn anywhere from 5% to 30% of the school fees you paid to your Australian educational provider.
Some education agents will actually direct you only to the place where they’re getting the highest commission, rather than the one that benefits your career.
2. Limited Choices
It is a requirement that every institution in Australia must have a contract in place with every educational agent.
Some education agents don’t have a contract with many institutions, so what happens is that they won’t recommend you to certain colleges or institutions because they don’t have those options available for you.
In that regard, when it comes to choosing the right course, sometimes you may have very limited options to choose from.
3. Incorrect Applications
There could be a chance that some education agent don’t know what they’re doing and they could be incorrectly completing your applications.
It means that you could be getting a refusal from the Department of Home Affairs for your student visa, which will obviously have a devastating effect on your career.
Now the question is: how can you choose the right education agent?
🤔 How to choose an education agent to study in Australia?
These are some of the factors we suggest you consider when choosing an education agent to study in Australia:
1.Do Your Research Properly
As we mentioned earlier, every institution must have an agreement in place with an education agent.
Regardless of the country they are in, they must have an agreement in place with the institute that you’re planning to study at.
We suggest you check the website of the education provider to ensure they have an agreement in place with the institution.
For example, if you are planning to study at the University of Melbourne, go to their website and look for the list of agents on their website. By law, they should have a list of all the approved education consultants, whether they are in Australia or overseas.
It’s also a good idea to do research through your friends and other people who have gone through the process before you.
You can ask your family or your friends – or you can ask someone who’s actually studying in Australia – if they have any recommendations for good education agents that they can refer you to.
2. Consult Multiple Agents
Rather than relying on information from one education agent, it is advisable to actually meet a few education agents before choosing the right one for you.
You can easily look up education agents around your area through any search engine or even through social media platforms.
3. Ask Questions
As education agents are there to help and serve you for study in Australia, it is very important that you ask them questions.
You should also ask them about the fees that they’re going to charge you, so you can compare the fees charged by other agents in your area as well.
You can also ask them questions like: “Are they a registered migration agent or are they just educational consultants” or “What’s their success rate?” etc.
It’s important that you never pay the school fees to your agent or in their name. You should pay them to your education provider. Good education agents will guide you on how to arrange to pay your fees.
4. Thoroughly Read The Documents
Before signing any agreement with education agents, make sure you read all the documents and terms and conditions carefully and if you are unsure, you can always ask someone else to read through those documents for you.
Never sign a document before reading it and understanding it well.
5. Keep A Written Record
We highly suggest that you get everything in writing. If you’re getting some information, it’s always good to get it in an email or in any other written format which could help you save yourself if anything goes wrong.
6. No Guarantee of Permanent Residency (PR)
No educational consultant or educational agent can guarantee that you will be able to obtain permanent residency after completing your studies in Australia.
So this is our guide on how to choose an education agent to study in Australia.
In a nutshell, a good, reliable education agent can always save your time, effort, money, and headaches.
If you are packing your bags to come to Australia you might be thinking, what sort of documents should I bring along with me to Australia?
In this article, we are going to discuss what sort of documents you should bring when you’re coming to Australia as an international student.
Before we get started, it is ideal that you should have at least a couple of copies of all the documents mentioned in this article.
It is also a good idea to keep these documents in your carry-on bag or handbag. Alternatively, if you’re bringing a laptop bag, you can keep those documents in it as well.
Now, let’s kick off with the documents!
1.Passport
We don’t really need to explain much about why you need to bring your passport when coming to Australia for your studies. It is obviously a very important document for travelling overseas.
Important thing to keep in mind is that your passport must be valid for at least six months, which means that it cannot be expiring within the next six months. So please double-check the expiration date on your passport before traveling to Australia.
If it is expiring within the next 6 months, then you will need to renew it before coming to Australia for your studies.
2. Airline Tickets
You must have printed copies of your airline tickets, itinerary, boarding pass (if checked in online). Again, this is another obvious document, but we still need to mention it.
3. Student Visa
You must have a student visa when arriving in Australia. There are various types of visas available, but whatever type of visa you have, make sure you have a copy of it.
4. Academic Transcript
It’s a good idea to bring documents that contain any qualifications you have completed in your home country, as well as any other document that contains your marks in those qualifications e.g marksheets.
You’ll probably need it a few times while you are studying in Australia, especially if you are going to apply for further visas.
So ideally, you should bring your year 10 or year 12 certificates. If you have completed your degrees, like a bachelor’s or master’s, you need to bring all those documents as well.
5. Confirmation of Enrollment (COE or ECOE)
You should bring your E-COE or COE which is a document that is given to you by your university or institute when you apply for that course.
It is a confirmation that you have been enrolled into that specific course at that specific university or institution, so make sure you have a copy of your ECOE or COE.
Important note: You should always have a valid COE when you are studying in Australia.
5. IELTS or PTE Certificate
Some students who are going to study in Australia will be required to complete an English test. It could be IELTS, PTE, or some other English test.
Whatever test you have completed, make sure that you have a valid certificate and bring this certificate along with you.
Of course, not every student will need to complete this test, so if you don’t need to complete this test, you don’t need to bring this document.
6. Receipts of Payments
You may have paid your tuition, airfare, overseas student health insurance (OSHS), or accommodation. Make sure you get the receipts for all of these documents and bring them with you.
You might also need to exchange some currency, so if you are bringing some Australian dollars, make sure you get a receipt from your local exchange institutions (e.g banks or money exchangers).
7. Accommodation Booking Documents
Whether you are going to book a short term accommodation like hostel, hotel or Airbnb or booking a long term accommodation with university, please bring along those booking emails or itinerary or any other document received as a confirmation of booking.
You might not need these documents if you are coming to stay with your family or friends but you still need to know their address as you need to write that in your incoming passenger card when arriving in Australia.
8. Driving License
As an international student, you are considered a temporary resident, which means you can drive in Australia while your overseas license is still current and valid.
Please keep in mind that some states and territories may have their own regulations governing how long you can drive in Australia with an overseas license, so we recommend that you check the details in the state or territory where you will be driving.
While some students from certain countries can easily transfer their overseas license to an Australian license, other students from some countries will need to undertake tests in order to get an Australian license.
If you are planning to deliver food with delivery apps like Uber Eats, then having an overseas license is a must (Especially if you are going to use a motorbike or car for delivering).
Read our complete guide on how to deliver with Uber Eats here.
9. Medical Records or Prescriptions
If you have some specific health conditions, and you’re carrying some medicines along with you, it’s always a good idea to bring those prescriptions as well.
Also, you need to bring other prescriptions like your glasses or some other medical trackers.
10. Work Related Certificates
If you’re planning to work in Australia, it is a good idea to bring along your work certificates.
It could be a reference letter in your home from your employer, or it could be a work experience certificate.
11. Other Certificates
If you have completed any short courses, like an IT course or any trade course, it’s a good idea to bring those certificates along.
Also, if you have completed a barista course in your home country, it might be a good idea to bring that along.
12. Personal Identification Documents e.g. National ID Card or National Tax Number Card
If your country issues a National ID Card, then please make sure to bring that along as well as they can help to identify you or prove your age or citizenship of a country when needed.
If you don’t have a National ID Card, then other documents like Tax Number Card or any other relevant document that can help prove your identity can be great to bring.
13. OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) Policy
Most of the students who are going to study in Australia will need to purchase OSHC policy for covering any health related issues while studying in Australia.
You will be given an OSHC policy or deed by your OSHC provider, so it will be good for you to bring that document.
14. Vaccine Certificate
It is not required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 if you are coming to Australia anymore but if you already have been vaccinated, then it will be good to bring along that certificate with you.
So these are the important documents that we suggest students to bring along when coming to Australia for their studies. Let us know which other documents you are bringing along with you.
We often get asked about the first week expenses in Australia that international students should budget before arriving to study here.
Now, your first week’s expenses as an international student in Australia will vary depending on the city you’re moving to, the type of accommodation you’ll be staying in, and your lifestyle.
In this article, we will provide a rough estimate of how much you will need to pay for these expenses.
1. Airport Transfer
First thing first, you would need to go to your accommodation from the airport.
You can use various types of airport transfer options like public transport, charter buses, airport buses, taxis and ride sharing services like Uber.
There may be a free airport pickup service offered by the university or institution you will be attending. Make sure you verify that with your university or institution.
For public transport transfers, it can cost around $10 to $25. You can also use private buses like Sky Bus which can cost around $30 or alternatively you can also use a taxi service or a ride-sharing service like Uber, Ola, or Didi. You will be paying anywhere from $20 to $200 for these services depending on the distance you need to travel.
If you have friends or family that can pick you up at the airport, that would be great as it would help you save money for the airport transfer..
2. Accommodation
Many international students coming into Australia will be booking temporary accommodation at the start.
It could be a hotel, an Airbnb, or a hostel, and during that time you should be prepared to pay between $250 and $400 for the week.
However, if you have made arrangements to stay in long-term accommodation, you will be expected to pay at least a two-week bond, which is a security deposit and is refundable at the end of your tenancy. You would also be required to pay one month’s rent.
If you have friends or family who you will be staying with in Australia, that would be awesome as it can help you save money and share the accommodation expenses. You could be paying anywhere from $150 to $300 per week for the shared accommodation.
3. Mobile SIM and Internet
You should be able to get a prepaid SIM when you first arrive in Australia. Prepaid SIMs cost between $15 and $30 a month.
They come with unlimited calling within Australia and a lot of data that can help you access the internet. Some of the sims also come with free international calling to certain countries as well.
For the internet, you can also ask your accommodation provider if they provide these services as a part of the accommodation. Sometimes they might require you to pay extra fees for using these internet services.
Good home internet plans start from around $50 per month. But you can share these expenses if you are living in shared accommodation.
4. Transport Expenses
Most of the states and territories you will be coming into have specific transport cards that you need to use for travelling on public transport.
It is completely free in some states or directories, but most of the time you will be required to pay $5 to $10 to purchase this card.
For example, in Melbourne, they make use of the Myki card, which costs $6.
During your first week, you might also be traveling a lot as you need to visit your university, you might start looking for a job or accommodation or just travelling to see around the area.
So you might be spending $20 to $50 for your first week of travel, and this varies based on the city you’re coming into and how many times you use public transport.
5. Food Expenses
If your accommodation provides you with facilities where you can cook food then we highly recommend that you cook your own meals as it is a cheaper option than eating out.
You will also need to buy groceries and that can cost you around $80 to $150 for your first week, and it varies based on what you intend to cook and how much you know about cooking.
If you are going to be eating out, especially lunch and dinner, it can be an expensive affair in Australia.
Even if you stay on budget. you will still be spending about $20 to $30 per day if you eat out most of the meals.
Food delivery services like Uber Eats are also very popular in Australia but it can be an expensive exercise as well.
You can check out our blog post that walks you through what you can eat under $10 in Melbourne Australia here and more blogs of other cities are coming soon. So make sure to follow us on Instagram for updates here.
6. Study Material Expenses
Each semester, you might need to buy some new books.
You can start with secondhand books or books available from the previous students, as this will obviously be much cheaper.
But you will be expected to pay between $50 and $100 for each book.
You can borrow some books from the library, however it can be really challenging for everyone to borrow those books at the same time. So you must be quick in getting these books loaned from the library.
Estimated Total First Week Expenses in Australia for International Students
In total, our estimated total cost as your first week expenses in Australia will be around $500 to $1200.
Again keep in mind that these numbers can vary based on the factors like city, lifestyle, accommodation and personal preferences.
Here is a quick summary of how these expenses might look like:
1. Airport transfer fee – Free – $10 to $200
2. Accommodation rent –
Hotels, Airbnb, Hostels – $250 to $400 per week
Long term accommodation (Including Bond ( 2 weeks rent + 1 month rent) – $700 to $1000 for the month
friends and family – Free to $300 per week
3. Mobile sim and internet – Prepaid Sim – $15 to $30
4. Transport
Transport card – $5 to $10
Transport Travel cost – $20 to $50
5. Food
Cooking – $80 to $100,
Eating out – $20 to $30 per day
6. Books – $50 to $100 per book
7. Total Estimated Cost- $500 to $1200
Other things you need to do in first week
Here are some things you also need to do in your first week that don’t require spending money:
Opening your bank account
Applying For TFN
Applying For ABN
Creating your Resume
Orientation at your school
We have several videos on our YouTube channel that can walk you through some of these things you need to do in your student life.
Students looking at their options for higher education abroad should give serious thought to Australian colleges and universities. It’s hardly surprising since the country has a top-notch educational system and awards degrees that are respected internationally.
When academic quality is top-notch, it is not easy to get admission to one of these institutions.
To begin with the process, you need to check if you already have the credentials required to continue your studies in Australia.
In general, institutions set out the academic criteria and English proficiency standards.
The English language requirements are tailored to non-native speakers, given that all courses and other kinds of communication are taught in English at Australian institutions.
Apart from that, there are requirements for things like visas and medical insurance.
The minimum required level of English proficiency and academic achievement level vary from institution to institution and degree to degree.
In this article, we will discuss the basic entry requirements for international students enrolling in Australian schools, colleges, and universities.
A brief guide for applying for admission into Australian educational institutes
You may start the application process after you’ve chosen a program and an institution.
Before submitting an application, prospective students should verify that they meet the minimum educational and English proficiency standards.
The majority of Australian overseas students apply directly by mail or online or through an educational agent. The application form will include the course(s) you want to enroll in, as well as provide required information and documentations.
The basic information required in most of the application forms are:
Your personal information;
Verified proof of English language proficiency;
Transcripts of past academic qualifications
References.
Many schools need a non-refundable application fee, often between $50 and $100 Australian Dollars (AUD), to be sent with the application.
Make sure you meet the criteria for a student visa on the Department of Home Affairs website before submitting an application.
Once you’ve submitted your application, the educational institution will examine it. It can take a few weeks before your application is processed (or longer for post graduate programs).
You will get an offer letter and an acceptance form if you are chosen. You should read the complete offer letter before making a choice in order to be well-informed about the conditions.
You must first fulfill the conditions in the offer letter in order to get a Confirmation of Enrollment from the institution (CoE).
After being approved and receiving the CoE from your educational institution, the next step is to apply for a student visa. Use your letter of offer or your CoE to apply for a student visa.
You will also be required to submit a GTE statement and get OSHC cover for your studies in Australia.
Now let’s look into more specific entry requirements into different courses in Australia.
Entry Requirements to study in primary and secondary school in Australia
Each school might have different admission criteria but to give you a general idea, following are the entry requirements.
Students in Prep through Year 6 can enroll in the Primary School program by meeting the following criteria:
The program must run for a minimum of six months.
Students whose first language is not English must either participate in a Young Learners Program or present documentation of their proficiency in the language.
Whereas if we talk about secondary education in Australia, it is offered by government and non-government institutes. Depending on the state or region and the duration of elementary school, it is offered for five to six years.
In Australia, secondary education consists of two study levels and starts in years 6 or 7.
Secondary school (lasts 3 to 4 years – Years 7 to 10 or 8 to 10)
Senior secondary school (lasts for two years – Year 11 and Year 12)
The requirements for enrolling in secondary school in Australia vary from one state or territory to the next, as do the specific schools you want to attend.
The application procedure considers several elements, including your academic record, extracurricular activity, athletic abilities, and other factors.
Candidates from other countries will be judged on how well they meet the English language standards. The student may enroll in a high school preparatory course to improve their English proficiency if they do not already fulfill the standard. We have already covered a separate article on getting secondary education in Australia; check it out here.
English Requirements:
Year 7 & 8 = IELTS 4.0 – TOEFL = 31
Year 9 = IELTS 4.5 – TOEFL = 32
Year 10 = IELTS 5.0 – TOEFL = 35
Year 11 = IELTS 5.5 – TOEFL = 46
Year 12 = IELTS 6.0 – TOEFL = 60
If you are under the age of 18, you will also need to have welfare arrangements sorted before arriving in Australia for your studies.
Entry Requirements for VET (Vocational courses) in Australia
Instead of going to university, international students can choose to undertake vocational education programs. These vocational programs are offered by various Tafes and private institutions, which both public and private universities offer, providing real-world learning experiences.
These programs provide real world experiences to the students, which hence equip them with skills to start working as soon as they graduate.
In order to ensure quality education in these programs, Government agencies keep an eye on these education providers and audit them regularly for compliance purposes.
Typically, students will attend 15 to 20 hours of in-person training weekly.
When students graduate from VET institutions, their credentials are recognised in Australia and often in other nations worldwide
Some basic entry requirements for vocational programs are as follows:
International students who want to enroll in the VET system must complete a level of study comparable to years 10, 11, and 12 in Australia. In your native country, you must have attended and graduated from at least the third year of high school.
International students may need to pass an English exam to enroll in a vocational program.
While some courses would need job experience, others could have prerequisite subjects.
A portfolio might be required for admission to courses like painting and design.
For English Proficiency, you must provide proof that you are at least at the following levels of English proficiency:
IELTS: You will need to score an overall of 5.5, no band less than 5.0
TOEFL: You will need to score an overall of 55 with individual section scores no less than (Listening: 9, Speaking: 16, Reading: 10, Writing: 18)
PTE: You will need to score an overall of 42-49 with no section score less than 40
CAE: You will need to score an overall of 162 with no individual band less than 154
Entry Requirements for Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate in Australia
A Graduate Certificate program is a 6 months full time program (one semester) and usually includes 3 to 4 units of study. The typical length of study for a graduate diploma at a university is 12 months and usually includes 8 units of study (two semesters).
A Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma is the next step for students after finishing a Bachelor’s degree in Australia.
The entry requirements for Graduate Certificate is a Bachelor’s degree and for Graduate Diploma is a Bachelor’s degree along with Graduate Certificate.
Apart from that, international students are usually required to provide proficiency of their English levels by providing a result for one of the following:
IELTS: You will need to score an overall of 6.5, no band less than 6.0
TOEFL: You will need to score an overall of 79 with individual section scores no less than (Listening: 19, Speaking: 19, Reading: 18, Writing: 22)
PTE: You will need to score an overall of 58-64 with no section score less than 50
CAE: You will need to score an overall of 176 with no individual band less than 169
Entry Requirements for Bachelor’s degree in Australia
International students can only apply for a bachelor’s degree in Australia after twelve years of elementary and secondary school.
International students are suggested to apply for admission early, so they have plenty of time to get necessary visas and arrange travel arrangements.
Standard admission entry requirements for a Bachelor degree in Australia are as:
Application fee: Most universities will require application fee of around $100 to $200 to apply for their courses
Academic Transcripts: You will also need a score of between 60% and 70% on the Australian equivalent of the High School Leaving Exam (HSLE) to apply to a Bachelor degree program in Australia (12th grade).
English Test Results: A good score on an internationally recognised English language test that proves you’re proficient enough to study in Australia.
Others: Further requirements such as surveys, letters of recommendation, work experience, portfolio’s etc.
In regards to the English proficiency, as a general guide, you will be required to provide a proof of one of the following levels:
IELTS: You will need to score an overall of 6.0, no band less than 6.0
TOEFL: You will need to score an overall of 67 with individual section scores no less than (Listening: 12, Speaking: 18, Reading: 15, Writing: 21)
PTE: You will need to score an overall of 50-57 with no section score less than 50
CAE: You will need to score an overall of 169 with no individual band less than 169
Entry Requirements for Master’s Degree in Australia
For getting into Master’s degree in Australia, having an undergraduate degree is a must.
The typical cutoff for eligibility to apply for a Master’s degree at Australian universities and Institutions is 60% or GPA of 4.0. The Australian Bachelor (Ordinary) Degree equals a foreign undergraduate degree such as a B.Sc., B.Com., or B.A.
If you are planning to do a Masters degree by research, then you might be required to have an equivalent to the Australian Bachelor (Honors) Degree or previous research experience.
Some other requirements are as follows:
Application Fee: You will expected to pay $100 to $200 as an application fee
Academic Transcripts: You must present the results of your earlier academic life. At the time of admission, you must present your Secondary School Certificate (Year 10 transcripts), High School Certificate (Year 12 transcripts). In addition, you must submit the Transcript of Records, which lists all of the subjects you studied for your Bachelor’s and the marks and grades you earned in each of them.
Entrance Exam Results: You may also submit your results from any university entrance exams you’ve taken as evidence if you have! Some university courses like MBA might need students to undergo an entrance exam like GMAT, GAMSAT, LSAT etc.
English Test Results: A good enough score is required in an internationally recognised English proficiency test for an overseas student. Most universities in Australia accept the IELTS, PTE, or TOEFL examinations to measure your proficiency in English. A letter from your former university that confirms that you completed your undergraduate degree entirely in English and don’t need to take any additional exams may also be accepted by certain universities.
Attending Interviews: Interviews could be conducted by some universities in order to check the communication skills, professionalism and reasons for those specific courses.
Here is a general guide for the English proficiency scores that you need to provide for your Master’s degree in Australia. Please note that these numbers can vary from one institution to the other :
IELTS: You will need to score an overall of 6.5, no band less than 6.0
TOEFL: You will need to score an overall of 79 with individual section scores no less than (Listening: 19, Speaking: 19, Reading: 18, Writing: 22)
PTE: You will need to score an overall of 58-64 with no section score less than 50
CAE: You will need to score an overall of 176 with no individual band less than 169
Entry Requirements to PhD (Professional Doctorate Degree) in Australia
Getting entry into PhD programs in Australia is different from getting entry into most other courses. Most of the PhD programs in Australia are research based.
Before you submit your formal application to the university, you will need to find a research supervisor. This will be someone who will be the lead researcher in your preferred institution and area of study.
Then you need to submit a brief research proposal to this prospective supervisor. If the supervisor accepts your research topic, then you will receive an expression of interest from this provisional supervisor.
From here, you can start a formal application to the university. But if the supervisor doesn’t accept or support the application, then you will need to find another supervisor.
Most universities will not accept the formal application from PhD students until they have a research supervisor.
Once you have expression of interest, then you will need to meet the following requirements. Please note that each university sets its own requirements and might require you to meet further requirements than listed below here:
A Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in the relevant field of study.
Evidence of your prior research experience certified from your previous university or universities.
Approved expression of interest for your research proposal from academic supervisor
References from the academic or professional world
Universities might require students to go through an interview for getting accepted into Doctorate degrees.
Provide proof of your English proficiency by undertaking IELTS/PTE/TOEFL/CAE test.
You must provide proof that you are at least at the following levels of English proficiency:
IELTS: You will need to score an overall of 6.5, no band less than 6.0
TOEFL: You will need to score an overall of 79 with individual section scores no less than (Listening: 19, Speaking: 19, Reading: 18, Writing: 22)
PTE: You will need to score an overall of 58-64 with no section score less than 50
CAE: You will need to score an overall of 176 with no individual band less than 169
We hope we were able to give you a general idea of what it looks like to apply for an admission to different programs in Australia. You can also check out the following related articles that we covered regarding studying in Australia.
