From Eh to Oz
Bond University is set on a pristine, 50-hectare (123 acres) campus at Robina on Queensland’s Gold Coast. One of the most common things we hear from OzTREKK students who study at Bond? Wow! The campus is so clean and beautiful!
Bonus? The Gold Coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!
Bond is known for its personalized approach to education. As a Bond student, you will enjoy smaller class sizes where eminent professors and industry-experienced lecturers know you by name.
If you plan to study physiotherapy, you’ll be studying at Bond’s $20-million, state-of-the-art Bond Institute of Health & Sport. Features include clinical skills laboratories designed to simulate real medical environments, and modern teaching and research laboratories with the latest scientific equipment. The purpose-built tutorial rooms cater to small-group learning and lecture theatres are equipped with video streaming, wireless, and an audience-response system. The building also features a dedicated computer laboratory.
On the Bond Boarding Pass, you’ll find everything you need to know about getting ready to go to Bond University, including how to accept your offer and accommodation tips.
Accepting Your Offer
Congratulations on receiving your offer!
Here are some important tips to ensure your acceptance process is as easy and smooth as possible.
Important Information
Congratulations once again on receiving your offer!
Please take time to read your offer email and letter of offer carefully and make sure all the information is correct.
Acceptance deadline/offer lapse date: Make sure to complete your acceptance process prior to this date. If a lapse date is not indicated on your letter of offer, we have provided a lapse date for you in your offer email.
This date will give you enough time to submit your acceptance documents, receive your Confirmation of Enrolment, apply for and obtain your student visa, kiss your family and friends goodbye at the airport, and hop on a plane bound for Australia!
Check your name: (As on your passport), birth date, and Bond student ID number (eight digits, referred to as “SID”).
Commencement and completion dates: Plan to arrive in Australia at least two weeks prior to your class start date.
Acceptance deposit amount: Your offer letter gives you the deposit amount required to hold your place.
Tuition fees: Your offer letter will list the total tuition fees.
University’s tuition fee policy: Bond reviews all fees annually and these fees are subject to change without notice. It is important to factor this into your financial plan.
Understand Bond’s refund policy.
Australian Release Policy: It is important to be aware of the Australian Release Policy. If you are considering transferring to another Australian institution, you must be aware that if you apply for a visa, you will be unable to change institutions. You should not apply for a visa unless you are certain you want to attend that university. Please read the Australian Government’s Release Policy for more information. Let us know if you have any questions!
Specific admissions requirements/conditions (if applicable), including vaccination info and certificate requirements.
Declining Your Offer?
In case you choose to decline your offer, please let us know as soon as possible. Let us know by emailing your OzTREKK admissions officer outlining your decision and reason for declining your offer. We will then advise the university on your behalf. This is important because it can potentially open a spot for another student!
How to Accept
Step 1 – Read Your Entire Offer Letter
Ensure that you have read and understood the Student Acceptance Declaration terms and conditions.
Step 2 – Respond to Offer
- Log in to the Bond University StudyLink Portal.
- Use your primary email and select Forgot Password to set up your own personal log-in.
- Select My Applications to view your application and offer.
- Select Actions for your offer and then Respond to Offer. Under offer details, select Accept Offer.
- Review all information. Confirm your acceptance and proceed to the deposit payment. You will be redirected to Bond’s OneStop secure payment site to complete payment.
Step 3 – Pay Acceptance Deposit
Pay the acceptance deposit amount indicated on your offer letter.
Payments must be made through Bond’s Convera account by credit card or telegraphic/wire transfer. See Paying Via Convera for information about the process.
When you complete your payment, your application status will change to “Acceptance Processing.”
Step 4 – Confirm Acceptance with OzTREKK
Once you have accepted your offer and completed your payment, please email us to let us know, so we can keep an eye out for your CoE.
Step 5 – Receive Your CoE
When your acceptance and payment are processed, the university will create your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). OzTREKK will email you your CoE and instructions on how to apply for your Australian student visa.
Payment Methods
Payments must be made through Bond’s Convera account by credit card (Visa & MasterCard) or wire transfer, in Bond’s portal, at time of acceptance.
For instructions on how to use Convera, see Paying Via Convera.
#OzTREKKTip: Do not pay by bank draft or cheque.
If you plan to pay your acceptance deposit via credit card, contact the credit card company and advise them that a large payment will soon be processed in Australia, in Australian dollars, as it may be deemed a possible fraud attempt.
Accommodation
About Finding Accommodation
Before you get into the nitty gritty about your university-specific accommodation options, it’s important to review the basics of securing long-term accommodation in Australia, which is often the number one predeparture priority of OzTREKK students. If you aren’t living on campus or pre-arranging accommodation before you leave Canada, we highly recommend that you understand how renting a property in Oz works, so you’ll be prepared to hunt for a place to live when you arrive. There are many benefits in arranging housing after you arrive. You can
- physically inspect the property before accepting the terms and conditions of the lease;
- decide whether you will be comfortable in your new neighbourhood;
- assess the noise levels, both by day and night. Remember, you need to be able to sleep and study in your new home;
- check whether it is well-lit at night.
This process still requires preparation. Consider the following when thinking about accommodation:
- Ensure you have temporary accommodation arranged.
- Be prepared financially for the time you may need to spend in temporary accommodation.
- Make housing your first priority.
- Avoid rushing your house hunting. Feeling rushed can hinder your ability to make wise choices.
- Be informed. Before you arrive, read as much as you can about the various housing options and how to arrange them. Then you can get straight into house hunting after you arrive, rather than trying to figure out where to go and what to do.
Things to consider when comparing options
- Location – Take a look at Google Maps when comparing accommodation options!
- Amenities – Kitchen, meal plan, gym, A/C, etc.
- Cost/price range – This will be dependent on the location and amenities, typically the closer to campus and the most amenities offered the higher the price.
Short-term Accommodation
The Gold Coast is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Australia and offers a wide variety of temporary accommodation options.
If you are interested in exploring other options for temporary accommodation, you can visit the following websites for hotel and backpacker information:
On Campus
Bond University’s on-campus accommodation is within easy walking distance of the university lecture rooms, libraries, academic facilities, Sports Centre, and a variety of dining options.
Bond’s accommodation options for living on campus vary from single and share rooms to flats. Rates include electricity, water, laundry facilities, wireless internet, and weekly cleaning.
To secure a room on campus at Bond, their Accommodation website provides an online booking feature which is normally open about two months prior to the beginning of the semester.
Bond University Dining Plan
Bond University has a dining plan for students that allows you to determine your spending. Students can select a dining plan option within the on-campus accommodation application form. The dining plan allows you to use your Student ID card as a dining card at Bond food and dining outlets at any time. You can even pick up essentials at the Bond Express convenience store (alcohol is excluded).
For more info, please visit the Bond University Dining Plan page.
Off Campus, Managed
Most rental units around the Bond campus offer two- and three-bedroom apartments, within landscaped complexes hosting a range of resort-style facilities. Facilities may include pools, tennis courts and restaurants. Some of these complexes will assist an individual student to find appropriate accommodation.
The following can be booked at any time and should be reserved well in advance of your commencement:
Varsity Shores (adjacent to campus – north side)
The Chancellor (Varsity Lakes village – adjacent to campus)
The Chancellor Lakeside (Varsity Lakes village – adjacent to campus)
Central Park Apartments (Varsity Lakes village – 1 block to campus)
Varsity Apartments (Varsity Lakes village – 2 blocks to campus)
Semester in Australia (offers furnished apartments in the Gold Coast)
For additional options, check out the Bond University Housing website!
#OzTREKKTip: Varsity Towers is not recommended for postgraduate students, as many younger, study-abroad students choose to stay here.
Private Rentals
Students from Canada who are studying at Bond on the Gold Coast, rent houses or apartments and often share these with other students, in Robina, close to the University. If you wish to commute and live closer to the beach, areas to consider include Burleigh, Mermaid, and Miami.
The Study Gold Coast website provides accommodation options and advice.
VUE Terrace Homes is 5 minutes from campus and right across from the BIHS building. Students will need to apply through an agency via the realestate.com.au website.
To find off-campus accommodation providers, rental tips, property advice, etc., visit
Look for a place, room or roommate:
- Have a look at student.com and type in your city!
- Roomgo
- Flatmates
- Gumtree
- TheRoomXchange
- Student Accommodation One
The Burbs
One of the key components of your research will be to get a feel for the city/town in which you will reside. Public transportation options are key to understanding where you could live based on where your university is located and which bus/train/tram/ferry travels to and from campus. Spend some time reviewing the city maps, become familiar with potential suburbs in which you could reside, and visit Australian public transportation sites.
Get Around Town
Bond University is nestled on the cusp of Robina abutting surrounding suburbs including Varsity Lakes, Burleigh Waters and Mermaid Waters. Getting around is easy with public transport options available including buses, trains, taxis including Uber, and bicycle lanes on most roads.
- OzTREKK’s Gold Coast City Guide
- Getting around on the Gold Coast
- Gold Coast suburbs
- Bond University’s Campus Map
- Gold Coast city
Leaving the Airport
About Airport Transfers
You’ve arrived at the airport! What happens now?
Australian Customs and Border Protection officers will check you and your luggage when you arrive. When you’ve cleared customs, you’ll be looking for a way to get to your accommodation!
Check out Bond’s airport transfer page for information about how to book transportation from the Coolangatta Airport (Gold Coast) airport or Brisbane Airport.
Advice from OzTREKK Students
Each year we send a survey to the students in their first year of studying in Australia, then we compile the info.
Read our Bond University Students’ Advice to get all the insider tips (copied directly from the survey!) for a smooth transition to studying at Bond.
- University
- Program
- Adjustment to living in Australia
- Accommodation (Where? How much? How long did it take to find?)
- Work outside the classroom
