Fine Print

Overview

Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a step back to make sure you’re on the right path. Here, we’ve made a list of important things you “need to know,” including  deposits and refunds and other “fine print” items.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions! 

 

Release Policy

International students who plan to accept an offer from an Australian university need to be aware of the Australian Government’s Overseas Student Transfer policy (known in the OzTREKK office as the “Release Policy”).

This policy restricts international students from switching from one Australian institution to another once they have applied for their Australian student visa and within 6 months from the start date of their principal (highest level) program. Under these circumstances, universities will reject any withdrawal requests.

In this policy, principal program refers to the program with the highest level of study. This is important for students entering a combined program.

For example, if you have a student visa for a combined Bachelor of Medical Science / Doctor of Medicine program, the principal program is the Doctor of Medicine. Your university will not “release” you until 6 months into the Doctor of Medicine portion of your degree. Some other examples include Bachelor of Clinical Science / Doctor of Medicine; Bachelor of Dental Science / Master of Dentistry; and Bachelor of Arts / Juris Doctor.

If you’d like to know how this applies to your acceptance, please contact your admissions team.

Should you wish to withdraw altogether (and not study in Australia), or attend another institution in another country, that is fine! This policy only applies if both institutions are in Australia.

Our advice: Do not apply for an Australian student visa unless you are certain you want to attend that particular university.

For the full Overseas Student Transfer policy, as well as all other overseas student policies, please visit Australian Government’s National Code Factsheets.

Refunds

Each university has its own refund policy. Before you accept an offer, you should thoroughly review the university’s refund policy, which can be found in your offer letter.

#OzTREKKTip: If you decide to exit the program after the “Census Date,” you will not be refunded any of the money you have paid to the university. Zip. Zilch. Nada. So be sure to read the refund details provided in your offer letter!

It’s also important to note that studying full time is a requirement for your Australian student visa. If you are considering dropping a course, speak to an advisor in your faculty before withdrawing from your program or from a course. You are also strongly encouraged to contact the Department of Home Affairs as changing your study load can affect your student visa.

When in doubt, contact your OzTREKK admissions officer—that’s what we’re here for!

Deposits

Under the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act, providers must not require a student to pay more than 50% of the total tuition fees for the course before the student commences the course (or 100% for short courses that fall within one study period of 24 weeks teaching or less).

The university will accept more than 50% of the total tuition fees prior to commencement of a course if the student or student’s sponsor chooses to pay more. 

Finances

As a student from Canada studying at an Australian university, you will be considered an international student and therefore charged international student tuition fees.

Generally speaking, the cost of tuition will rise each year of the program, effective at the start of each calendar year. If you have any questions or concerns about your tuition fees, please contact OzTREKK. If you receive an offer, your offer letter will outline the expected full cost of your degree.

The average international student in Australia spends about $575 AUD per week on living expenses, approximately AUD$25,000 – AUD$35,000  per year, but this is dependent upon where you are living. Cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane are more expensive.