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.
Your institution will provide you with information on how and when to pay your tuition fees.
| University | |
|---|---|
| Foundation Studies | A$9,000 to 14,000 a year |
| such as university entrance, preparatory and bridging courses | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Bachelor Degree | A$14,000 to 35,000 a year |
| such as courses in arts, business, economics and law | |
| Laboratory-based Bachelor Degree | A$14,000 to 35,000 a year |
| such as science and engineering courses | |
| Postgraduate | |
| Graduate Certificates Graduate Diplomas | A$15,000 to 36,000 a year |
| Masters Doctoral Degree | A$15,000 to 36,000 a year |
| Vocational education and training | |
|---|---|
| Certificates I - IV Diploma Advanced Diploma | A$5,000 to 20,000 a year |
| School | |
|---|---|
| Secondary school | A$6,000 to 30,000 a year |
| Primary and junior secondary school | A$6,000 to 30,000 a year |
| English language training | |
|---|---|
| varies significantly depending on the course duration or institution | A$12,000 to 19,000 |
Refund policies
When a visa application is refused
If your application for a student visa is refused by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), you will receive a refund for pre-paid course fees calculated in accordance with the ESOS Act.
It is important to note that if DIAC refuses to issue a visa to a student, for whatever reason, any written agreement between the student and an education provider no longer remains in force. DIAC will write to you to say your visa has been refused. You must give a copy of this notice to your education provider and request a refund. The ESOS Act allows your education provider to keep some money to cover administration expenses.
This means that a provider is bound by the legislation to provide a refund and cannot use a clause in the written agreement to avoid all or part of this responsibility.
Other circumstances
Depending on the circumstances, you may be entitled to get your course money back if you change your mind about studying with an institution (student default) or the institution doesn’t deliver the course you have arranged to study and have paid for (provider default).
- Student default – This means you default on the arrangement because you have withdrawn from the course either before or after the agreed starting day, or you didn’t start when the course began and didn’t formally withdraw before it began.
- Provider default – This usually means your education provider closes down for unforeseen reasons or government authorities cancel a course.
This means you default on the arrangement because you have withdrawn from the course either before or after the agreed starting day, or you didn’t start when the course began and didn’t formally withdraw before it began.
If you don't think your institution is following their refund policy as outlined within your written agreement you should lodge a complaint with the institution through their complaints and appeals process. Your written agreement should tell you how to find your provider's complaints and appeals process or your can look on their website. The provider's complaints and appeals process provides for both an internal and external appeals process. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the appeals process you can lodge a complaint with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) by completing the online form athttp://aei.gov.au/aei/esos/EnquiryForm.aspx
To determine if you are entitled to a refund, please check your provider’s refund policy and the agreement you have with your provider.
In the event that your education provider stops teaching or cannot offer your course anytime after you have enrolled (provider default) your tuition fees will be protected under the ESOS Act. This may occur if your education provider closes its business or the provider or its course is removed from CRICOS. This situation is called provider default and there are strict rules that your education provider must follow in such situations.
Read more about provider default at http://aei.gov.au/AEI/ESOS
