Cost of Living in Australia – All You Need to Know
The living standard in Australia is ranked among the highest in the entire world. On top of this, considering the quality of higher education courses available in Australia, the tuition costs are far less than the other countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Moreover, as Australia allows international students to do part-time jobs while still being on the student visas, international students are able to cover their education costs by working in Australia.
Tuition fee
Although the tuition fees in most Australian schools and universities is lower than what similar programs in the US and the UK cost, the thing that sets Australian schools apart is that here students have to pay their entire tuition fee upfront. Alongside tuition fee, international students may also have to incur additional costs according to the type of program they’re pursuing. These include costs for books, stationery items as well as other specific items such as photographic supplies, engineering supplies or lab coats.
Generally, an undergraduate degree in most Australian schools cost up to AU$35,000 per year, while for most postgraduate courses students may have to shell out up to AU$36,000 per year.
Scholarships
There is no denying that majority of the international students who come to Australia for education pay their fee on their own. However, for those international students who want scholarships to cover their education costs, there are several scholarships that are offered by the Australian government, student exchanges and other organizations. These scholarships cover the costs of various vocational training programs, undergraduate courses and postgraduate study research. One thing to keep in mind is that the Australian government scholarships are unavailable for those international students who are pursuing English language training in Australia. However, for such students, there are several institutions in the country that do offer the required scholarships.
For students who are planning to pursue a postgraduate research qualification in Australia, the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) is a godsend. This scholarship not only covers the cost of tuition and health insurance but also lets students work with leading researchers in Australia allowing them to gain in-depth experience with some of the best in the country.
On top of this, there is the Australia Awards that aim to promote education links, knowledge sharing and ties between Australia and its neighbouring countries. These scholarship programs are comprised of two streams – an achievement stream and a development stream. While the achievement stream allows an exchange of students, professionals, and researchers, and knowledge between Australia and its neighbours, the development stream intends to build volume in developing nations.
Working along with studying
One of the foremost reasons international students choose Australia as their destination for higher education is that Australia allows international students to work up to 20 hours a week while still being on their student visa. Such visa information is shared by the Australian Department of Immigration and international students can access this information by using the countries VEVO system.
In most cases, international students find job opportunities in the retail, administration or the hospitality sector. However, before starting any job, international students in Australia have to obtain a Tax File Number from the Australian Tax Office. For obtaining the TFN, students have to provide information about their current address, passport, proof of enrolment with the school, date of birth and other details. Additionally, all working international students in Australia are covered by the country’s workplace laws.
Cost of living
Before international students are able to pursue their education in Australia, they have to prove that they will be able to sustain themselves and afford their tuition fee. This is to ensure that all international students will be able to gain the most of their education and can still have a pleasant experience in the country. Although students are allowed to work during their tenure as a student, they still have to justify that they can carry on with their education without working in the country. According to recent rules, a potential international student has to have access to the following amount of funds to fulfil the living cost requirements for studying in Australia:
AU$18,610 per year for the student
AU$6,515 per year for the student’s partner
AU$3,720 per year for the student’s first child
AU$2,790 per year for every other child
Before pursuing education, all international students who’re planning to relocate to Australia to carry on with their higher education must establish that they have access to these funds and will be relying exclusively on these funds to meet their educational requirements. However, students can still work for 20 hours a week on a part-time basis to meet their other needs.
