Guest nastasia Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I've read that university fees are not free even for australian citizens. So what advantages or payment facilties does a citizen/PR get when going to university? Does he/she pay full or partial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I've read that university fees are not free even for australian citizens. So what advantages or payment facilities does a citizen/PR get when going to university? Does he/she pay full or partial? A citizen pays domestic fees which are cheaper than international. A citizen is also able to access tuition loans and thus defer payment. They pay this back after they finish study and hit a certain income level. The ATO takes it automatically out of earnings. PR holders are also able to access domestic fees, but they are not eligible for student loans. This means all fees must be paid at the beginning of each semester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nastasia Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Thanks Sammy for your prompt response. Do you have an idea what fraction of the full fees that a citizen pays compared to an international student? Also is every citizen guaranteed a place in an Australian university? I've heard that there is a quota for each entry for local students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Thanks Sammy for your prompt response. Do you have an idea what fraction of the full fees that a citizen pays compared to an international student? Also is every citizen guaranteed a place in an Australian university? I've heard that there is a quota for each entry for local students. Entry is competitive, more so for some courses as opposed to others. International fees are extremely high. You would need to look at the university of your choice and compare the domestic fee as opposed to international. However, for a four year degree an average would be $80,000 or more. If studying as a domestic student then it may be around $20,000 minimum for an degree . Degrees differ widely in price though. A law degree is much more expensive than say a nursing or education degree. Check with the university you are interested with, look on their website and you will be able to compare domestic and international fees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 With UK degrees now costing £9000 a year then Australian domestic rates don't seem too bad from what I have seen. Even Open Uni in the UK have quadrupled their prices. Education isn't cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 With UK degrees now costing £9000 a year then Australian domestic rates don't seem too bad from what I have seen. Even Open Uni in the UK have quadrupled their prices. Education isn't cheap! Education here is certainly very reasonable compared to the UK. However, with the future deregulation of university fee I fear we will see huge increases, just like the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeM Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 If my understanding is correct, deregulation would affect students who enrol from 2016 onwards only and that it hasn't passed in the senate yet so there's still a chance it won't happen. I am holding out hope (for others' sake) that the degregulation doesn't pass in the senate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scattley Posted May 24, 2014 Share Posted May 24, 2014 Undergrad fees for citizens are about 1/3 to 1/4 of international but post grad fees are only about 80% of international fees. The competition for undergrad is different depending in the degree...you need 75% in your final year to get into an education degree but 99% to get into medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connaust Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Like I'd suggest to Australians nowadays, if you are not sure about future career etc., go TAFE university pathway, less of a financial burden, either way. Much lower fees, and you can transfer credits e.g. Adv/Diploma allows 2nd year university entry. Several Melbourne TAFEs now offer both pathways and their own associate and bachelor degrees (in some cases superior quality to university), same price for both local and international $AUD12-15000 p.a. which compares well with the U.K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anya Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 Education here is certainly very reasonable compared to the UK. However, with the future deregulation of university fee I fear we will see huge increases, just like the UK. Here is a link (hosted by the Greens party) that gives you an approximate figure of how much your degree will cost post deregulation. http://www.whatwillmydegreecost.com.au/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeM Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 It should also be considered that the increases don't directly affect anyone who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. I believe the majority of changes (in terms of any increase) don't kick in until 2016. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeM Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Yes. But usually they are limited scholarships available. Even for domestic students it is hard to find a full scholarship for the entire degree. You might find something for a year or two. Check the websites of universities you are interested in for details. Sometimes if you're already at university in your home country they might offer scholarships for you to go to an overseas university (in other words to Australia) for a term or more. If you know where you want to go, check out their website's scholarships pages or contact them with an online form on their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeM Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Oh but no loans. Deferring fees with HECS (a "loan") is only available to citizens. If you can secure a loan for your fees in your home country and then pay for your fees using credit card online or a cheque that's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 It should also be considered that the increases don't directly affect anyone who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. I believe the majority of changes (in terms of any increase) don't kick in until 2016. It is my understanding that the increases are applicable to any student studying at the point they are introduced but a number of Universities have already committed to not raising the fees for students enrolled prior to this point. The Uni I work for is currently considering it's position on this matter, but if the other local Uni's hold their fees then we probably would as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scattley Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 It's also good to remember that when HECS was introduced it affected even those students who were 5 years into a 6 year degree...when they started HECS was not even an idea in a politicians head....so it's quite possible the fees increase will be applied to every degree....I was 2 years into a 3 year degree and had to pay 1 year of HECS... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackiek Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Compulsory minimum repayments of HECs used to take my friends and I at least 10 years to pay off completely...I feel for the next generation of learners. Have to start saving for education fees really early! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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