Australia has emerged as one of the world's leading educational powerhouses, serving over 8,00000 international students annually. India, China, Nepal, Brazil, and Vietnam account for the majority of the international student population in Australia. These five nations account for more than half of the foreign student body. Students in Australia's educational institutions have access to cutting-edge knowledge and innovation as well as top-notch study techniques. After the US and the UK, Australia has the third-highest intake of international students.
One noteworthy and unexpected fact about Australia is that about 2.5 million foreign students who studied or pursued higher education there now hold positions in prestigious institutions, businesses, and organizations all around the nation. Aside from these benefits, there are many more to studying in Australia, including employment chances during your studies, acknowledgment for your degree internationally, and serene, lovely surroundings.
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International students choose Australia because of its excellent level of life, flexible education system, and large selection of major and minor disciplines. The following is a summary of some of the main arguments in favor of requiring students to study in Australia.
Over the past five years, foreign student enrollment at Australian universities has increased by almost 54%. The majority of this increase, according to an Australian news broadcast website, has occurred in the non-award sectors, English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS), and Vocational Education and Training (VET) schools. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the value of overseas education increased by 22% from $28.1 billion in 2016 to $32.4 billion in 2018.
In Australia, there are two primary regulations that support high-quality education for overseas students. The National Code of Practice and the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act of 2000 are these. This upholds Australia's standards as a nation and as a pioneer in the provision of education worldwide.
The choice of a course to study in Australia depends on your interests, career goals, and academic background. Australia offers a wide range of programs at various levels of study, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and research degrees. Here are some popular fields of study in Australia: :
The Australian higher education system begins with the vocational education system. Technical and Further Education (TAFE) is the name of the vocational education system in Australia. The government provides direct funding for Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions, which grant certificates, diplomas, and advanced diplomas. TAFEs also grant bachelor's degrees in several programs.
In Australia, there are about 37 public institutions that receive funding from the
Commonwealth for higher education.
In Australia, bachelor's degree programs typically last three years, though applicants may elect to continue
for a fourth year, known as "Honours," if they so choose. However, in order to receive their degree, students
enrolled in honors courses must prepare and turn in a thesis. An honors qualification is given to candidates who
successfully finish an honors course as part of their degree. For instance, honors courses in chemistry,
zoology, etc.
In Australia, students pursuing a bachelor's degree have the opportunity to select "Minor" courses in a
particular topic in addition to their major courses. Minors are considered to be specializations within a
certain academic field, and typically consist of fewer courses than majors.
Some Australian universities allow students to pursue double degrees. Students taking up double degree
courses are required to complete major courses in two fields of study.
When it comes to Master's courses, the duration/length of the course is of two years
atin most in Australian universities. The best universities to pursue master’s courses in Australia are included
among the best international universities, such as Australian National University, UNSW Sydney, The University
of Queensland, University of Melbourne, and University of Wollongong.
The most popular master’s courses to apply for in Australia are STEM, business and management, economics,
architecture, etc. The majority of regional universities in Australia offer taught and research based master’s
courses. The natural resource enrichment of the country is most pivotal in its role of offering honours and
research based courses in the relevant fields and streams.
Australian universities conduct one or two exams per term, and the final assessment of
students is done on the basis of performance in these exams. Certain courses in Australian universities require
laboratory work/language classes, and these courses place more emphasis on attendance, assignments and
participation.
Student participation/involvement is one of the major components of the Australian education system. At
universities, students are encouraged to express opinions, ask questions and speak up in lectures. The
examination system of Australian universities places more emphasis on the critical thinking of students rather
than the mere memorisation of subjects/topics/lectures.
The admissions process, which differs throughout universities, is an internal administrative concern. There are, nevertheless, a lot of elements that apply to all admissions procedures. The existence of a common education system is the primary cause. Although specific dates, deadlines, qualifications, costs, available courses, and class sizes may vary, there is a general timetable or procedure that may be understood.
Step 1:
Shortlisting Universities Students need to check out the
fee schedule and eligibility criteria of the Australian universities offering their desired programmes. On the
basis of their research work, they need to shortlist the universities which are most compatible with their own
goals.
Step 2:
Attempting Study Abroad Tests After shortlisting the universities, students need to prepare,
register, and attempt the study abroad entrance exams. These exams shall be mentioned in the eligibility
criteria of the university.
Step 3:
Compiling Application Documents Once the results have been declared of the entrance exams then
students need to compile the application documents for their shortlisted universities. The document requirements
may differ for different universities and the collateral processes may also be extensive. It is strongly
recommended that students start preparing the application documents on a tentative basis and well before
applications start being accepted.
Step 4:
Applying before Deadlines Once the universities declare the admission dates and deadlines for
the applications, students need to submit their applications to their respective universities. It is beneficial
to apply early in the admissions season to ensure proper attention and less competition.
Step 5: Await Decision and Prepare Student Visa Application Documents
After applying for the documents
and gaining confirmation of application from the respective universities students need to await the Offer Letter
of Acceptance. While waiting for the offer letter they can start preparing the documents required for the
Australian Student Visa application.
Australian universities are now accepting applications for two intakes
of students:
February and July. During these intakes, both native and international students may apply
for admission to Australian universities. Students can apply for a variety of programs throughout both intakes,
including business and management courses, STEM courses, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees.
Each intake season has its own deadlines and international students are strongly encouraged to apply well in advance once the admissions have been declared as ongoing. While a tentative guideline can be ascertained for each intake, varying universities have different deadlines for their admission processes.
Every intake season shall carry the following characteristics for international students:
According to estimates, studying abroad in Australia will cost at least two or three times as much overall as studying in India. Students will inevitably think about the possibilities that can drastically lessen their financial burden as a result of this. Scholarships are the option that students prioritize even if college loans and waivers are frequently selected. The primary cause is the long-term elimination of financial strain.
Scholarships remove the future repayment load in addition to enabling students to complete their higher education in Australia without financial constraints. Depending on their eligibility, international students can apply for a variety of scholarships in Australia. Every scholarship has its own set of guidelines, requirements for eligibility, restricted recipients, terms for the future, and components or amount of the prize. Certain scholarships specify the costs they will pay for and how much of them, while others have a set amount. In a similar vein, several kinds of scholarships—such as need- and merit-based scholarships—are also offered depending on the requirements for qualifying. Scholarship programs can be divided into two categories in addition to eligibility: government, university, or trust fund awarding organizations.
Students need to apply for scholarships after they have been accepted by the universities for their applied courses. The overall process of applying to the scholarships for international students in Australia can be serialsed as follows:
Step 1: On receiving the confirmation letter of enrollment, students need
to explore the scholarship programmes available for them to pursue their chosen course programme at the
university.
Step 2: They have to further shortlist the scholarship programmes whose
eligibility criteria they manage to satisfy.
Step 3: They then have to compile their documents according to
the eligibility criteria of the shortlisted scholarship programmes and apply for the respective programmes
before their deadlines.
Step 4: Await the final decision of the selection committee.
The students are hereby informed that the eligibility criteria and conditions of the scholarship programmes do not cease on granting of the award. In the majority of cases, students need to continuously satisfy the eligibility criteria until they are benefitting as an awardee of the respective programme. In fact, many merit scholarships mention the minimum aggregate that the beneficiary students need to maintain to continue getting the award.
The documents which commonly need to be submitted by the students as part of their scholarship application are as follows:
International students choose
Australia not only for the high-quality education it offers but also for the unique cultural experience that it
provides. Australian universities conduct special student events for students living on campuses such as
biweekly snack nights, biweekly bar nights and a number of recurring activities that help students meet new
people from all over the world every semester.
Living on-campus means students are closer to the academic buildings, classes and social clubs and
organisations. No matter how large or small the university is, all schools and universities in Australia will
have several student organisations, ranging from small study groups to specialised activity clubs for activities
such as surfing, cycling, rowing, drama, and many more.
As one nears graduation, they may realise how learning outside of the classroom has had a key role to play
in their student life experience in Australia. In addition, although not many know, sports in Australia is
booming like never before. Universities in the country have exclusive organisations that let students
participate in sports like cricket, boxing, football, fencing, archery, among others. They focus on wellbeing,
health and athletic excellence, paving the way for a holistic campus experience.
As a non-native of Australia,
students need to apply for Australian visas to get immigration rights to the country’s territorial boundaries.
In order to get the visa approved it is necessary to apply for an appropriate visa type.
International students need to apply for Student Visa in order to study abroad in Australia. The
requirement is applicable in cases where the student is required to register their physical presence to study
the course they are enrolled in.
In order to apply for the Australian Student Visa, international students shall need to submit the following as part of their student visa application:
In addition to employment prospects, overseas students and graduates employed in Australia are subject to the many national rules and regulations of the country. This includes the National Minimum Wage, which establishes the minimum pay to which any individual with the ability to work must be entitled in exchange for their services to an employer. Australia's minimum wage is currently $14.54 USD, or roughly AUD 21.41. This minimal hourly pay is a right that all international students have in exchange for their services.
The regulations concerning the
minimum and sustainable income for international students in Australia also extend to the realm of income and
wealth taxation. In other words, if international students earn an income from their part-time employment that,
after considering deductions and exemptions, falls within the taxable brackets outlined by the Australian income
tax slab rates, they are required to fulfill their tax obligations. Similarly, if students accumulate a net
worth and assets that are subject to Australian wealth tax, they must contribute the applicable direct tax to
the country's economy. These stipulations are governed by Australian land and territorial laws, meaning that the
income source and asset location must be within the boundaries of Australia for them to be subjected to taxation
by the Australian government.
International students can approach their respective university administrations to understand better the working and earning facilities in Australia from which they can benefit.
