Study In Australia – Scholarship & Requirements :
An attractive quote reads “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”. If you have decided to study abroad, this quote will give you the required motivation. Are you thinking whether Australia can be the right destination to study abroad? Here are 10 interesting facts that make Australia the best destination to study abroad.
Why Study In Australia?
It will not be an overstatement to say that Australia is the leading international education powerhouse. The reason is that she is the home for some of the best educators in the world. Of course, she is known for her excellent set of facilities offered to international students.
Australia offers both international and national students with a wide range of quality study options. It is time for us to explore the 10 interesting facts about Australia:
- It is true that Australia has the population of only around 23 million. But, the island is the 3rd most popular international study abroad destination for students from across the world.
- The country offers nearly 22000 courses from about 1100 institutions
- Also, 8 out of top 100 world institution is an Australian Institutions.
- As per University System Ranking, the country is in the 9th position ahead of Germany, New Zealand, and Japan.
- 5 out of 30 best student cities are located in Australia
- The country offers more than 200,000,000 annual government investments on international scholarships.
- Australian Universities have been featured in among the top 50 positions in the following areas of study:
- Arts & Humanities
- Clinical, pre-clinical & health
- Engineering & Technology
- Life Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Social Sciences.
- The international success rates of Australia shows that about 2,500,000 international alumni of Australian institutions are making a difference in the world.
- The country has shaped 15 Nobel Prize holders
- Over 1,000,000,000 people from around the world rely on Australian discoveries every day. The examples include black box, vaccine for Cervical Cancer, Ultrasound, Wi-Fi, Bionic Ear, Penicillin and IVF.
Infographics:
The infographics below shows other reasons to choose Australia for your study abroad destination:
How About Education In Australia?
For international students, Australia offers a number of course choices. With nearly 1200 institutions and more than 20,000 educational programmes to select from, you can experience diversity in selecting the right course for your higher education.
The good thing about Australia is that the country offers different stages of schooling for international students. Yes you can choose right from school level to vocational training and education. You can take up higher education to English language courses.
Irrespective of your course period, the laws related to the country endorses superiority in education. The law also assures security for international students.
As an international student doing your higher education on a student visa, you should make sure that you enroll in an institution and a course that is registered with CRICOS. It stands for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.
Top 10 Institutes in Australia
It is right that you will have to choose the best institute to do your higher education in Australia. According to the World University Ranking 2018, the top 10 universities Australia with the appropriate world ranking is given in the table below for your reference:
World Ranking 2018 | Institute Name | Location |
---|---|---|
20 | The Australian National University | Canberra |
41 | The University of Melbourne | Parkville |
45 | The University of New South Wales | Main Campus at Sydney |
47 | The University of Queensland | Brisbane |
50 | The University of Sydney | Multiple locations with the main location at Sydney |
60 | Monash University | Melbourne |
93 | The University of Western Australia | Perth |
109 | The University of Adelaide | Adelaide |
176 | University of Technology | Sydney |
224 | The University of Newcastle | Multiple locations with Newcastle as the main location |
So, Australia has the best universities to provide education. But, as mentioned earlier, you should make sure that the university and the course you choose as an international student in Australia should be approved by CRICOS.
In addition to the ranking, you will get an idea about the ranking positions of the top 5 universities in Australia in the past years from the chart below:
So, the Australia National University continues to be in the first position among universities in Australia in the world ranking every year. The positions of other institutions vary as well.
Visa Details To Know
It is true that the immigration program in Australia is much lenient as compared to other countries like the UK and the USA. However, still, there are certain requirements to be met as you look for ways to study in Australia for any period of time.
What Are The Student Visa Options Available?
If you are planning for tertiary education in Australia, you have six different types of visa options. For those applying for secondary and primary school education, three more options are available. Let us explore the options here:
- English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students: Shortly called ELICOS Visa, you should get this visa, if you plan to do an English course in Australia that will not confer a degree.
- VET Visa: Expanded as Vocational Education and Training Visa, it is the choice, if you are planning to take up a vocational education or training in Australia. It is a type of visa that will help you obtain vocational graduate diplomas, vocational graduate certificates, vocational advanced diplomas and vocational diplomas in Australia.
- Higher Education Visa: It is the type of visa you should apply to if you plan to do an academic degree course. But, you should not opt for this visa, if you plan to do a Master’s research degree.
- PG Research Visa: As the name implies if you are planning to do a PG course through research, you should get this visa. It also implies a doctoral degree of any kind. Your university will tell you whether the PG degree is through research or through coursework.
- Non-Award Visa: If you wish to visit Australia during a semester and take classes when you reside in Australia, but not a degree, you should apply for a non-award visa.
- AusAID and Defense: It is for those, who are funded by the AusAID or the Australian Department of Defense. This type of visa will permit you to go for any kind of full-time degree through the doctorate.
Read : Study Abroad in United States
What To Know About Assessment Levels?
Now, you know about the type of visa you should apply. You should remember that there is a couple of ways in which your application will be processed. Most likely, you will be placed in an assessment level. It means that you will have to go through a specific procedure based on your level. Even, you might be eligible to go through a process known as the streamlined student visa application process.
The assessment level as against general student visa process will help with getting in and out quickly in the process. It also ensures consistency in the process of awarding visas. As students from across the world visit Australia for their higher studies, the Assessment Level is helpful for the Government of Australia to identify the risk associated with immigration of some specific parties.
At present, there are five assessment levels in the student visa needs. These levels are on the basis of the country of your origin, your field of study, the level of education you are studying, the institution you are studying. The higher the level of assessment you are placed in, more will be the requirement to be fulfilled when it comes to obtaining a student visa. The level differs for each country on the basis of the previous compliance with immigration standards and other determinants that evaluate the risk.
Streamlined Student Visa Processing
Many universities participate in this program. If the university in which you are going to study in Australia is a participant of this program, the Australian government will consider you as a person of lesser risk. This rule applies irrespective of your country of origin.
Financial Resources Proof
To become eligible for a student visa to study in Australia, you will have to go through a process that encompasses a review of your financial resources. To study in Australia, you should prove that you have the least level of income. It is also required to ensure that your monetary requirements will be able to be covered when you stay in the nation.
Why Do They Do This?
There are a few reasons why Australian government needs this proof. For instance, they mainly wish to make sure that you will be able to get the most out of your education. The government also does it to make sure that they need not have to take care of the financial needs of an international student, while he/she is studying in Australia.
Another reason for the Australia government to do this is that the cost of living in Australia is really high. It holds particularly true in the case of urban areas like Melbourne and Sydney. To avoid the financial burden for the international students visiting Australia, the government checks the financial resources even before allocating the visa to a student.
What Are The Minimum Requirements To Be Met?
To get a student visa to study in Australia, you will have to meet certain minimum eligibility requirements according to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Here are the details:
Student: The student must have a sum corresponding to the minimum one return airfare to Australia. Further, it is important that a student must have the course fee and nearly $18,610 for the living cost in Australia. Only if these conditions are met, the applicant will get the student visa. However, this money can differ based on the school you are attending and where you are planning to live in Australia.
Student’s spouse or partner: If you are married and are planning to do your higher education at Australia after your wedding, or even if you are committed to a relationship, you must submit the proof of financial resource for your partner or spouse. You should have the return airfare and also an additional $6515 for the overall living cost. If the partner is also planning to take up education, there should be enough funds to manage the same as well.
Children: In case you have kids below 6 years, the first child will add another airfare and $3720 for living expenses per year. In the case of any additional children less than 6 years of age, each kid will add an additional airfare and $2790 per child. The cost will be determined based on the age of your child, the region in Australia you are planning to reside and also the school level.
How Will They Calculate Your Eligibility?
Initially, you will have to submit the proof. The proof can be anything like your bank statements, your loan contracts or details about the fee you are paying towards your education. Even, you can submit the proof of any financial aid that you receive from the institute or government. More information is better and they will ensure that your information will remain safe and they will not sell any of your personal information elsewhere.
Factors Considered
To determine your financial resources, the following factors will be considered:
- Your immigration and financial history. It can encompass the history of passport, credit history, taxes and bank statements.
- Your employment history or the employment history of your parent or guardian, who is going to fund you for the education in Australia. These statements are important to make sure that you have the consistent income and are dependable with respect to employment and/or money.
- The source of income like a bank loan or cash assets that are going to be used for funding. This statement is required as the Department of Immigration can know the exact source of money to make sure that it is a dependable source.
Is there Scholarship Available For Foreign Students in Australia?
Thanks to the Australian Government. Even though they have rules to make sure whether a student has the right financial resources to manage the expenses at the country, they also offer many bursaries, grants, and scholarships for supporting the studies of foreign students. Not just the government, but also educational institutions and a number of public and private organizations also offer scholarships and financial aids for foreign students.
Major Scholarship Options Available For International Students
Australia Awards: This aim of this aid is to motivate educational associations, knowledge and lasting associations between Australia and also neighboring countries through Australia’s Extensive Scholarship Programs. This scholarship is offered jointly by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Education and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
Australian Government Research Training Program: From the 1st of January 2017, this program shortly referred to as RTP came into existence as a replacement to the already existing IPRS Program.
Australia APEC Women in Research Fellowship: It is applicable to female researchers, who are making huge achievements. It is offered in partnership with research and educational institutions in Australia. As the name of this program very well denotes, it is for empowering women.
Who Are Eligible To Apply For The Scholarships?
These scholarships are available to all international students, irrespective of their land of origin. Many of them are available for students from different nationalities, while the conditions are laid down for the scholarship by the appropriate sponsoring institution or organization. Candidates will have to apply for these scholarships directly to the sponsors. To know their eligibility, candidates will have to contact the organization that offers the scholarship.
How About Holidays In Australia?
Australia has a working holiday maker program. This program encompasses the work holiday visa and the working holiday visa. It permits the international students both to travel and work in Australia for an overall 12 months and study in Australia for a maximum of 4 months. This program has many advantages like those mentioned below:
- You can work and can get the most out of your trip to Australia.
- Many semantic courses are particularly directed towards working holiday makers in Australia.
- One can take up technical training that will help you improve the job skills.
- You will find many technical and short-term vocational training programmes offered at Private VET Colleges or TAFE.
What Are The Ideal Fields Of Study In Australia?
In Australia, the courses are divided into Fields of Education, which is otherwise referred to as Fields of Study. To describe any course and the specialization and units of study, Australian universities use this classification. Accordingly, the main categories under which the courses in Australia are divided include:
- Natural and Physical Sciences
- Information Technology
- Engineering & Related Technologies
- Architecture & Building
- Agriculture, environment & connected studies
- Education
- Health
- Commerce and Management
- Culture and Society
- Creative Arts
- Food, personal and hospitality services
- Mixed Field Programmes
In short, any program you choose in Australia for your higher education will fall under any of the above-mentioned categories.