FAQs

Despite many universities choosing to support students with online learning options, this does not mean that the cost of your program will be lowered. Any decisions about lowering tuition are being made individually by each university. Based on what we know at this time, here are some ways that universities are providing financial relief to students:

 

Bond University	Bond University will provide fee relief by delaying the scheduled annual increases for 2021 until the May semester. This reduction is for the January semester only but applies to all international programs, including undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Offers that have already been issued will not be revised; however, students will be charged the lower fee when their enrolment is confirmed. International Student Scholarships for January: Second round closing date November 21, 2020 Students commencing in January 2021 can apply now for an international student scholarship which awards up to the value of 50% off every semester to high achievers in the areas of academia, leadership and community endeavours: International Undergraduate Excellence Scholarship
Charles Sturt University	International students who are commencing studies online due to COVID-19 border closures will be eligible to receive a 30% off tuition scholarship, applicable for the first two sessions of study: March 2021 & July 2021. For more details, please check their website. Please note, Bachelor of Dental Science students are not eligible for this scholarship. See the full list of exclusions.
Deakin University	TBA
Flinders University	Go Beyond Scholarships allow students a chance to receive anywhere from 20% – 50% off of their tuition, depending on their academic standing and program. You can check out full details on their scholarship page.
Griffith University	Griffith Excellence Scholarships rewards students with 25% off tuition for the duration of their program, for anyone who has a minimum 5.5/7.0 cGPA.
James Cook University	TBA
Macquarie University	The university offers several scholarship opportunities for Canadians totalling up to $10 000 off tuition. For a full list of available scholarships, please check out their scholarship site.
University of Melbourne	TBA
Monash University	Monash offers an array of scholarships for internationals, which you can find on their International Scholarship site.
University of Newcastle	TBA
University of Otago	TBA
University of Queensland	Full-fee paying international students will be eligible for a 12.5% reduction of tuition fees based on your actual course enrolments in Semester 1, 2021. Please review UQ’s Frequently Asked Questions for further information on the rebate.
University of Sydney	TBA
University of Western Australia	TBA

Updated October 27, 2020

While we regularly encourage students to prepare in advance, this year, we suggest that students wait. As there is no clear date when students will be permitted into Australia, please wait before booking anything. This is especially important for students preparing to live on campus (in a residence or college) or in managed accommodation (like Urbanest or UniLodge). If you choose to book in advance, you will want to be certain you understand your financial obligations if you do not arrive in Australia at the time your lease commences.

You can certainly use the information we provide to start familiarizing yourself with the options available, but please do keep in mind that even once borders open, you will most likely be required to complete a 2-week quarantine period, which will prevent you from apartment hunting and/or moving into your place upon arrival.

Updated: October 22, 2020

As the situation is everchanging, we are unsure of what it will look like for your 2021 study plans. There is currently a travel ban prohibiting non-residents (including students with Visas) from entering Australia.

Several adjustments have been made across our Universities in order to best support students in their study planning. Some programs are allowing students to commence their studies online, while other programs will not be able to support online studies, meaning students will need to defer studies should borders not open in time for program commencement. Here is what we know so far:

Medicine

UNIVERSITY	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
Deakin University	Online studies for first semester
Flinders University	Online studies for first semester; second semester under review
Griffith University	BSc: Online with transition to Australia ASAP. Must be in Australia for MD portion MD: First year online, will need to complete components in person once onshore; second year must be onshore
James Cook University	Unable to start online; must arrive by March 31, 2021
Macquarie University	Unable to start online
Monash University	First year online
University of Melbourne	Online studies for first semester
University of Queensland	Online studies for first semester. Deferrals not allowed
University of Sydney	Unable to start online
University of Western Australia	Unable to start online

Updated: October 27, 2020

 

Dentistry

UNIVERSITY	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
Charles Sturt University	University has not made a decision
Griffith University	Yes. Some components cannot be completed online and will need to be completed once students arrive in Australia to study on campus. Students must be in Australia at the commencement of second year.
James Cook University	Yes, semester 1 can be completed online
University of Melbourne	Online studies not available; must be in person
University of Otago	Unable to start online
University of Queensland	Yes
University of Sydney	Unable to start online
University of Western Australia	Yes

Updated: October 16, 2020

 

Rehabilitation Sciences

UNIVERSITY	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
	Physiotherapy	Occupational Therapy	Chiropractic Science	Speech Pathology	Audiology
Flinders University	Yes	Yes		Yes	Yes
Griffith University				Unable to start online
Macquarie University			No. Studies must be in person	University has not made a decision	University has not made a decision
University of Melbourne	Online studies not available; must be in person
University of Queensland	Yes. (November 2020 commencement)				Yes
University of Sydney	University has not made a decision	University has not made a decision		University has not made a decision

Updated: October 16, 2020

 

Law

UNIVERSITY	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
Bond University	Likely to be online
Flinders University	University has not made a decision
Griffith University	Yes
Monash University	University has not made a decision
University of  Melbourne	Studies are likely to be online
University of Newcastle	University has not made a decision
University of Sydney	University has not made a decision
University of Western Australia	University has not made a decision

Updated: October 27, 2020

 

Veterinary Medicine

UNIVERSITY	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
University of Melbourne	University has not made a decision
University of Sydney	University has not made a decision
University of Queensland	Yes

Updated: October 16, 2020

 

Pharmacy/Public Health/Nursing/Optometry/Teacher’s Education

 

University	Will my program be offered online if borders do not open in time for semester 1 commencement?
	Pharmacy	Public Health	Nursing	Optometry	Teacher Education
Charles Sturt University	University has not made a decision		University has not made a decision
Deakin University		Yes	University has not made a decision		Not available online
Flinders University		Yes	University has not made a decision		University has not made a decision
Griffith University	University has not made a decision	Yes	University has not made a decision.		Not available online
James Cook University	University has not made a decision	Yes	University has not made a decision		University has not made a decision
Macquarie University		Yes			University has not made a decision
Monash University	An online start is likely, but no decision has been made. More info to come in December	Yes
University of Melbourne		Yes		University has not made a decision	University has not made a decision
University of Newcastle	University has not made a decision	Yes
University of Queensland	Yes	Yes	University has not made a decision.		Not available online
University of Sydney	University has not made a decision	Yes	University has not made a decision.		Yes, students must go to Australia as soon as they are able
University of Western Australia		Yes			University has not made a decision

Updated: October 27, 2020

 

Don’t see commencement plans for your program? Contact meghan@oztrekk.com for more information on whether or not your program will be offered online should borders remain closed.

 

 

We understand that this is a stressful time for you. If you have specific questions, or just want to chat, please reach out to our team. We’re working remotely, but we can email and hop on a Skype / call quite easily.

The following resources are from current OzTREKK students who have been juggling the “new norm” over the past couple of months:

• Daily life for a dentistry student during COVID
• Finding balance as a medical student during a global struggle 
• Staying motivated at home during COVID-19
• 3 tips to make the most of online studying
• COVID-19 in Western Australia
• The “new normal” in Australian universities… for now
• Finding balance as a medical student during a global struggle
• 4 tips to succeed in online learning
• Emma’s study tips
• Insider Guide’s Tips for Staying Happy and Healthy During Covid-19
• Deakin’s Studying at home during COVID-19

If You’re in Australia, here are some great resources:

Australian Psychological Society offers tips to maintain positive mental health.

Discuss any questions you have with your state or territory Public Health Agency:

• ACT call 02 5124 9213
• NSW call 1300 066 055
• NT call 08 8922 8044
• QLD call 13HEALTH (13 43 25 84)
• SA call 1300 232 272
• TAS call 1800 671 738
• VIC call 1300 651 160
• WA visit www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/ or call your local public health unit

Mental health resources by university

• University of Sydney
• University of Melbourne
• University of Queensland
• Bond University
• Monash University
• Griffith University
• University of Newcastle
• University of Western Australia
• University of Otago
• Deakin University
• James Cook University
• Flinders University
• Macquarie University
• Charles Sturt University

Updated: October 16, 2020

If you are a current student studying in Australia, or a commencing student who happens to already be in Australia, we recommend that you remain in Australia if you are serious about completing your studies on time.

There are a few scenarios that you may find yourself in when deciding to return home to Canada, and ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what is best for you and your family.

1. You wish to fully withdraw from studies

If done on time (please confirm with your uni as to what this date is), your fees will be refunded. Should you choose to attend studies in Australia later, you would need to reapply to the program.

2. You wish to complete studies online

Before making the decision to return home, please check in with your program coordinator/faculty to ensure this is an option, and if so, there are no components you might miss (this semester and next) by returning home.

If you return home, please be aware that you will need to be quarantined in Canada. You will not be able to return to Australia until the current Australian-entry travel restriction has been removed.

3. You wish to defer studies to a later intake

Some programs will allow students to defer their studies to the next available intake. We are not sure of the possibility of deferring a professional program (medicine, dentistry, health sciences, etc.), but will update this page as we learn more info. We strongly recommend that you check with your university to see if you are able to defer your program.

Updated: October 16, 2020

Once your studies commence in 2021, you must contact you program coordinator directly to discuss clinical placement details. If you’re having difficulty, please let your OzTREKK Admissions Officer know and we can follow up with your university.

Updated: October 16, 2020

The Australian Government has closed the border indefinitely, meaning that non-Australians will not be able to enter the country for the foreseeable future. If you hold an offer or CoE and to a program that commences in early 2021, this will mean one of a few things:

• You’ll be able to commence studies online, and start studies in-person once borders open.
• Your program may not be offered online if borders do not open, and you’ll need to defer to 2022.
• Your program may not be offered online, and you will need to reapply to a later intake.

Once borders open, you will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon re-entering Australia; should your studies resume as normal (i.e., face to face lectures), you may be unable to attend for 14 days upon re-entering.

Updated: October 16, 2020

Currently, our Australian universities require original transcripts in order to assess your application—certified by OzTREKK, which means we have to put our stamp on paper. Literally.

Usually, students order transcripts from their high school, college and/or university and have them mailed to our office. Alternatively, you can pick up your transcripts and mail them to OzTREKK, as long as they remain in their original, sealed envelopes.

You will need to submit final transcripts (showing your degree/diploma is completed) from every institution you have attended. We only require one copy of each transcript, even if you apply to multiple universities or programs.

OzTREKK educational services
301-1 Sherbrooke ST E
Perth, ON K7H 1A1 CANADA

Alternatively, your high school, college and/or university can email them to transcripts@oztrekk.com.

P.S. Try sending your documents via FedEx and Purolator, especially when you need your documents to arrive at our office ASAP. If you use Canada Post’s courier Xpresspost, please don’t request a signature, as this can add unexpected delays!

As  soon as your transcript arrives, we’ll let you know!

Some placements required by the provincial nursing college may not be offered as part of the Australian nursing program, or are only offered as elective placements. This means that you may have to do these placements on your own after you graduate. While some people don’t mind, it is something you will want to consider.

Based on what we have heard from previous OzTREKK students, Australian nursing programs do not typically include a maternity/pediatrics section in the course. Those who study nursing in Australia and plan to return to Canada for practice are strongly encouraged to take a maternity and pediatrics placement where available to gain clinical hours to make up for this.

If you do not have the option to take a maternity/pediatrics placement, don’t worry. There are things that you can do to make up for content. For example, you can

• complete a postgraduate midwifery course
• complete bridging courses available in Canada

These details differ from province to province and from program to program, so it is important to contact the provincial body directly to confirm all requirements before starting a nursing program in Australia.

Depending on if you’d like to work in a specialized area, you may need to do extra schooling and/or placement hours. This can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to complete.

We recommend against starting university studies in between as it can complicate the application/acceptance process.

If you were to receive an offer to an Australian university, it would be conditional on you completing your current studies, or showing that you have withdrawn form these studies. This means that you would need to provide evidence that you have completed all current studies before you would be able to accept the offer. This includes Canadian university studies.

If you were to receive an offer and begin university studies to fill in the gap, you would need to complete these studies before you would be able to fully accept your offer. With the Canadian semester running from September to December, this can make things very rushed.

We understand this sort of thing can be complicated, so if you feel a phone call would help to clarify your situation, we’re happy to chat!

Please note that Australian universities will need at least one semester of Grade 12 marks in order to do a primary assessment. Please wait until these grades are released before requesting your transcript.

Applications typically open a year in advance of the program start date. We recommend that you begin your application in January/February and aim to have your documents in by the spring/early summer.