How to arrive and

University and other tertiary education

The levels of educational participation and achievement in tertiary education in Australia are above average compared to the so-called ‘developed’ countries of the world. There are currently forty-three Australian universities to choose from. Australian universities are both teaching and research institutions which offer academic and professional disciplines with qualifications available ranging from diplomas to doctorates. People from around the world study at Australian universities and it has become some of a growth industry for the country.

Australia has both government and private universities that offer programs called ‘Under Graduate’ which last from three to six years depending on the course. Courses commenced after graduation are called ‘Graduate Programmes or Post Graduate’. Generally the duration of the graduate Certificates is 6 months, Master’s are 1 year, Master Honours are 1.5 years and Doctorates are 2 years. Degrees are, however, not measured by time taken but by the nature of subjects/courses involved. Therefore, depending on how may subjects/courses are being taken per semester, it may have an impact on the time it takes to complete them. Most of these postgraduate courses do, however, have a time limit in which to complete them.
If you are an Australian permanent resident you will only pay part of the cost of your education with the federal government paying the rest. The tuition fees at Australia's private universities are much higher than fees at publicly owned universities because they receive no or little subsidy from any government. Students with permanent residence status can choose to pay the required fees for each year in full or can use a student loan scheme. The scheme is called the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) which allows students to gradually pay off their education once their income after graduation has reached a certain level (A$28,000 annually). Once that person earns above the aforementioned threshold then the government begins to deduct fees from their income in small amounts. Australians therefore do not need to pay for their education until they are earning enough money.
Details of this scheme can be viewed online via: http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/ which also gives other useful information about university education in Australia.
If you do not have permanent Australian residency and want to study you will probably have to pay all fees in full for your course. The fees alone can be anything from A$9,000 to A$19,000 per year depending on what you are studying. If you do not have permanent residence status in Australia and you wish to study, the following website has all the information that you could want at: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au whilst http://www.australiangraduate.com/ makes for interesting reading too.

Vocational education

If you want vocational training to further your career prospects you may want to attend a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution. TAFE centres exist to provide people with training that is both practical and career-oriented. They endeavour to develop your career prospects and skills through a mix of study and work. TAFE centres offer courses in subjects such as computing, business studies, marketing, graphic design, tourism and hospitality – subjects that have ready application in the Australian workplace.

Reasonable fees are charged for these courses and like any other education should be seen as an investment in yourself. Just be sure to select a course that will more than pay for itself. Fees charged vary between institutions and states but can be between A$6 000 and A$18 000 per year.
Once again, if you do not have Australian permanent residency you will have to pay full fees in advance for your course. Some TAFE courses are offered to degree level with the majority being at diploma or associate diploma level. Under Australia's national qualifications framework graduates can progress into higher level courses including entry into universities for Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.
A list of TAFE institutions can be found at: http://www.australiangraduate.com/colleges.htm and another useful resource is Education Network Australia (EDNA) which can be reached at: http://www.edna.edu.au

Studying in Australia as a foreign student

The criteria for enrolment in an Australian university depend on the institution that a person applies to. If you are a foreign student who does not have permanent residency in Australia you will need to show:

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  Evidence of your proficiency of the English language.
  
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  Evidence of your academic studies and your results thereof. If you didn’t complete high school in Australia then you will need to show an equivalent qualification that is recognized by NOOSR. See this website for more information http://aei.dest.gov.au/AEI/QualificationsRecognition/default.htm (Australian Education International)
  
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  Proof that you have already passed at least 1 year in a university outside of Australia. If you have not done so, then you will have to undergo a ‘Foundation Course’ at an Australian university which can last anything from 6 months up to 1 year before commencing your course proper at that university.
  

Should English not be your first language or medium of instruction when studying at high school, then proof of your proficiency will need to be proven by means of a test. The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test is the one preferred by Australian institutions. The TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language), which is more popular in the U.S.A., is also sometimes accepted depending on the institution. Many universities offer English courses for foreigners along with the preparatory foundation courses which allow for successful enrolment at their university.

If you have studied at any university in your home country then this should enable you to enrol in an undergraduate or even post-graduate course in Australia. Australian universities will evaluate your past studies in order to achieve recognition thereof. It will be necessary to submit much paperwork and documents from your previous university. The Australia educational institution concerned will then inform you if your qualifications are acceptable or not. If acceptable they will also indicate how much credit by way of courses you will to receive. Such a decision can take many weeks to receive. The timing of your application will have to coincide with e commencement with the new academic year, so early submission before this new year is advisable. Academic years tend to start in February and finish in November, but this can vary.
An alternative method of enrolment at an Australian University (which depends on the institution and course involved) is through an evaluation of your past academic achievement coupled with your life skills and letters of recommendation. There is a possibility (albeit small) that under such an assessment, the institution concerned may believe that you satisfy the requirements for the course. Such an evaluation is based on your educational qualifications, life experience and work experience. This option is known as ‘RPL’ (Recognition of Prior Learning). This evaluation is made in conjunction with the Australian NOOSR. This scenario often has the added ingredient of the course involved not having enough suitable applicants available or the institution needs the ready cash upfront that foreign students provide.
All foreign students coming to study in Australia must be covered by their own private health insurance called Overseas Health Cover (OSHC). The OSHC policy taken out must be for the same duration as the course being studied. It is required to pay for any medical and hospital expenses during your studies in Australia. The cost of this is about A$300 per year for an individual, but shop around. Plans that include families are available too. All this needs to be paid for before arrival in Australia. If you require an extension of this for whatever reason at any point, then your university should be able to help in this regard.
OSHC cover will usually pay 100% of costs incurred when in a public hospital in Australia, but only up to the government schedule of tariffs if you are treated in a private hospital. You will pay the difference yourself in this last scenario. All costs above the government tariffs at any time will be born by yourself. There are usually some notable exceptions to your cover. For example, pregnancy in the first 9 months of cover, ailments from pre-existing conditions prior to arrival in Australia in the first year and treatment whilst travelling to and from Australia, amongst others. Such plans do not usually pay for dental, physiotherapy, optical or medicinal costs either. They’re essentially good for major medical expenses involving hospitalisation. If you require such insurance, simply enter ‘OSHC’ in your favourite Internet search engine and see what is available.
State help for parents in Australia
Help is available from the Australian government in the form of assistance, services and resources to help you and your family get the most out of the Australian our education system. The following services are provided to help parents and children:

1. 
   Financial assistance
   
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   Help for children with special needs
   
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   Various government and church bodies
   
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   Childcare services
   

1) Financial assistance

You may be eligible to claim some monetary assistance towards the cost of childcare. The following website for the Department of Family and Community Services can be of use: http://www.facs.gov.au
2) Help for children with special needs

Special education facilities include special schools, special education units and special education developmental units. They provide programs to students with disabilities whose needs exceed the capacity of regular schools, and who require an individualised education program delivered by a specialist teacher or a team of special educators. Your local school can put you in touch with your state or territory education department to discuss your child's needs.

3. 
   Various government body and church help
   

Austudy provides financial assistance on an income and assets tested basis to students 25 years of age and over. Courses must be approved full-time secondary and tertiary studies. Once again they expect that you are permanent resident of Australia and have been in the country at least 2 years. You can find out more via Centrelink at: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/publications/st003.htm
Some private and most Catholic schools offer a few scholarships every year to pay for teaching fees at their schools. The children undergo competitive examinations for the scholarships which usually go to the most promising applicants. Sometimes a school will provide a scholarship for other reasons such as compassionate grounds. You will need to talk to the school principal about these.
4) Childcare services

In Australia childcare is a very common. Many children will attend childcare at some time in their lives. Childcare is provided to help working parents manage both family and job commitments. Childcare is usually grouped into three categories:

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  nursery, babies from birth, if licensed to do so
  
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  early childhood, toddlers up to 5 years
  
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  primary school, for 5-12 year olds out of school hours and during school holidays.
  

The Department of Family and Community Services provides services for the above age groups by means of:

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  Long Day Care Centres
  
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  Family Day Care Centres
  
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  Occasional Care
  
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  Outside school hours care
  
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  Vacation care services
  
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  Playgroups
  
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  Multifunctional Children’s Services
  
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  Mobile children’s services and toy libraries
  

A good starting point for anything to do with education in Australia can be found at:

http://www.dmoz.org/Regional/Oceania/Australia/Education

- Chapter 11 -