Australia now has the largest proportion of international tertiary students per head of university student population (20%) of any of the major providers of international education in the world as numbers continue to soar despite overseas events.

Australian institutions are the first choice for many students from the Asia Pacific Region and increasingly from North America and Europe. In 2007, more than 400,000 students from 140 countries studied at Australian institutions in Australia.

A government survey of international students who finished a course of study in 1999 found that over 89 per cent were either very satisfied or satisfied with the quality of education in Australia.

In addition to that, the Australian Government has encouraged international education and training providers to adopt codes of conduct and has developed legislation to help ensure a stable, supportive and regulated teaching and learning environment. Australia is further improving its position as a high quality and reliable education system for international students.

The demand for Australian courses overseas reflects the high regard in which the world holds Australian education and training.

This growing demand for Australian expertise is also evident in the international mobility of professionals with Australian qualifications, and in the call on Australian expertise in development projects such as those funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank..

Australia enjoys a standard of living that is among the highest in the world. Living expenses and tuition costs in Australia are considerably less expensive than in the UK and USA.

When you study in Australia as an international student, you must pay your tuition fees up-front.

Aside from tuition fees, some institutions may also charge for other student costs, such as library, laboratory or sports facility costs. Excursions, books and stationery are other costs to consider, and your course may also require specific essential materials, such as lab coats or photographic supplies.

My Study in Australia student Counsellor will provide you with information on how and when to pay your tuition fees.

The following tuition fees represent the average costs of undertaking courses of study in Australia and should be used as a guide only. Specific information about tuition fees can be obtained directly from IEA-A.

* Some universities offer a trimester system and/or run summer schools from December to February.

** Some schools may have semesters/terms that differ to this, please check direct with the My Study in Australia student Counsellor

You can find that The Department of Immigration's current charges for a Student Visa are:

There are a number of accommodation options available for students studying in Australia . Most universities and TAFE colleges operate housing offices to assist students with accommodation. IEA-A provides assistance on assessing what type of accommodation could be the most suitable for you and on arranging accommodation as soon as the student receives confirmation of enrolment. The different accommodation options can be summaries as below.

Home-stay (living with an Australian family) is popular with younger students and those studying short-term English courses. Meals are usually included.

Many universities and colleges have halls of residence. Here, students have a bedroom/study of their own, and will share bathrooms, laundries and recreational facilities. Most of these residential halls provide meals, and some offer kitchen facilities where students can cook and store food.

Share accommodation could be a good way to provide your accommodation needs as well. Students can also rent an apartment or house. Rents vary depending on the location, size and the facilities. Many students in Australia live in an apartment or a house with other students, sharing the cost of gas, electricity and sometimes food.

Below is an guide for accommodation cost:

Generally international students need about $12,000 for a year for living expenses, including :

· rent,

· food,

· transport,

· entertainment,

· electricity,

· telephone,

· clothing etc.

If your spouse is accompanying you, add about $ 5,000.- or if your child is coming add about $ 3,000. This does not include costs of purchasing a car or furniture.

The average international student in Australia spends about A$250 - A$350 per week on food, accommodation, clothing, local transport, telephone, gas/electricity, stationery, and entertainment, although this varies significantly according to location and individual lifestyle.

Working while studying

Once you have arrived in Australia and started your course, you and your family members can apply for permission to work. The table below outlines the work entitlements for you and your dependent family members if you are granted permission to work.

You must also comply with the State and Territory laws of Australia. Under all State and Territory laws, you cannot work during school hours if you are under the school leaving age, which in most states is 15 years.

The money you may earn from working in Australia should only supplement your income and not be your only source of income. Usually unskilled works such as kitchen hand, waiter/waiters, sandwich hand, etc can earn A12-A$20 per hour.

You will need to obtain a tax file number from the Australian Government, contact to your international Education Agency – Australia Sydney office for further details. Also some institutions offer a job placement service that most of the time require job placement fee. Contact My Study in Australia student counsellor for availability, fee and further details.

Please note that to gain a Student Visa you will need to shown that you already have enough money to support yourself and any dependants during your studies before coming to Australia.

Australia has a special system of health cover for international students called Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).

All international students coming to Australia on student visas are required to have private health insurance for the duration of their visa.

Depending on the institution attended, students are required to join one of the registered health funds: Premiums vary, depending on the length of stay in Australia , but generally start from A$90 for three months insurance (A$360 per year) fro 2008.

OSHC will help you pay for any medical or hospital care you may need while you’re studying in Australia, and will contribute ( not all of the cost) towards the cost of prescription medicines and an ambulance in an emergency. Dental, optical and physiotherapy are not covered.

My Study in Australian Student Counsellor with your institution arranges OSHC for you before your visa application approved. When you arrive in Australia, contact to your institutions to get your membership card.

OSHC providers

Medibank Private

OSHC Worldcare

BUPA Australia

AHM

If your course of study is under three months’ duration, you will not be eligible for OSHC.

The insurance cost for student and student and family are summarised as a guideline for 2008 below.