American Students

As a student from the United States studying at an Australian university, you’ll be considered an international student and therefore charged international student tuition fees.

When you request information about a specific program from OzTREKK, we’ll give you with the estimated tuition fees and administrative costs for your program. Additionally, we’ll provide you with information about costs associated with the student visa application, health coverage, and living in Australia or New Zealand.

You can find current tuition rates on each program page.

The U.S. Federal Student Aid (FSA) program is available to those studying abroad at eligible universities, and most of our students have made use of this loan program.

If eligible, students typically apply for two types of loans:

• Subsidized: This loan is based on financial need and the amount offered is capped. The interest is also offset by the government.
• Unsubsidized: This type of loan is available to all applicants, but the interest is paid by the student.

If you’re ineligible for a federal loan, you may choose to go to other lenders like Sallie Mae, etc.

Loan Eligibility by University

Not all universities work with the FSA program. See the lists below for each university’s loan eligibility.

Fully Eligible

• Bond University

Deferral Only
These universities do not participate in FSA and are unable to accept loan applications, but you may apply to have your previous FSA loans deferred until you complete these studies at this university.

• University of Adelaide (Adelaide University not yet listed)
• Curtin University
• Deakin University
• Griffith University
• La Trobe University
• University of Notre Dame Australia

Fully Ineligible

• Charles Sturt University
• Flinders University
• University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is currently in the process of recertification with the U.S. Department of Education, and as such, is currently unable to accept U.S. government loans. New Melbourne applicants are currently eligible to apply for private loans (through Sallie Mae and Earnest). If you require financial aid to begin your studies, please refer to the university’s international loans program and financial aid website for updates and contact international-finaid@unimelb.edu.au with any questions.

Varies by Program
Loan eligibility varies by program at these universities. Contact OzTREKK.

• Macquarie University
• University of Otago
• University of Queensland
• University of Sydney
• University of Western Australia

Medical Schools
The rules related to medical school vary from other professions, so you’ll need to ensure that your medical school is approved by Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Currently, UQ is the only medical school in Australia that participates in the U.S. Federal Aid program.

The Application Process

Once a student gets an offer from an eligible Australian university, they will create a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which will be reviewed and assessed to determine the maximum loan amount. If the student wishes to accept the offer, the student aid application will be submitted to the university via FAFSA. That university will respond by advising FAFSA of the “CoA” (Cost of Attendance, which includes an estimate of living costs + tuition). This amount is set by the university and is non-negotiable. Once the CoA is remitted, the student can choose to accept the financing offer via FAFSA.

If you have further questions, we recommend you contact Federal Student Aid for personalized answers to your situation.

Loan Amounts
If the maximum loan amount is greater than the CoA, students are only eligible for the CoA. That is, if you are approved for $100K but the total cost for your Australian studies are equivalent to $88K, you are only eligible for $88K.

Make sure you’re aware of currency differences. The U.S. Federal Aid program will always be talking in USD and the Australian universities will always be using AUD. In November 2025, USD1.00  = AUD1.54. This is important because when your annual CoA is set, one rate is used, but when the disbursement is made a few months later, the rate at that time will likely be different. Typically, there aren’t huge swings in currency, but it’s a risk you need to know about.

Payments
Funds are remitted directly from the U.S. government to the university; students must apply for a university refund to withdraw the living expenses portion of the funds (this is considered an overpayment).

Payments are made twice a year (at the beginning of each semester).

Standardized Tests
The need for standardized tests such as the MCAT, USDAT, or LSAT vary by program. Please refer to each program’s main page.

If you’re applying to an undergraduate-entry program, you will need to complete the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT). Required scores vary by program. Please contact us for more information about your program of interest.

Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite courses vary by university and program. Please refer to each program’s overview page to see applicable prerequisite courses.

Grading System
GPAs in Australia are simple. They are standardized, common, and mean the same thing to everyone. You can use our GPA conversion page to understand how your grades compare.

Multiple Institutions
You’ll need to provide transcripts for all studies you’ve completed from all institutions. This includes diplomas, non-award studies, exchanges, study abroad programs, etc.

Licensing
Licensing requirements to return to the United States and practice vary by program and by state. You can find an overview of licensing requirements for most programs on each program’s main licensing page. We also encourage you to refer to your state’s own licensing body for the most up-to-date details.