Study in Australia – Top Universities, Scholarships, Cost, Eligibility, Visa Details

If you want to Study in Australia you have landed at the right place. We bring to you information about Australian Universities, Cost of study in Australia and Scholarships in Australia. Australia has now become one of the favourite destinations of higher education abroad to pursue under graduation, post graduation, research or PhD studies.

• Earlier there was a tendency for students to choose UK & USA Universities but now Study in Australia has also emerged as one of the top destinations to study for the Indian students. A huge number of students are choosing the Top Australian Universities for their higher education.
• There are close to 5 lakh International students studying in Australia.

Australian Universities - Study Areas 

Australia has more than 1100 colleges and universities which are ranked both at the national and international level. The universities offer more than 2200 courses of study. English is the main language of instruction in these universities hence, it is attracting a lot of International students. 

Total seven out of the top 100 universities in the world are located in Australia. The study in Australia is so much popular as the Australian University system stands at 8th rank in the world in front of the countries such as the UK, Germany, and Japan. Some of the top Australian Universities are like Australian National University, University of Melbourne, and University of New South Wales, The University of Sydney, Monash University, Queensland University of Technology, and La Trobe University etc.

Field of Study offered in the Australian Universities

The students can choose the courses from the variety of the fields of study given below:

• Natural & Physical Science
• Information Technology
• Engineering & Related Technology
• Architecture & Building
• Agriculture, environment & related studies
• Health
• Education
• Management & Commerce
• Society & Culture
• Food, Hospitality &Personal Services
• Mixed Field Programmes 

The Academic Eligibility to Australian Universities

The eligibility depends on the course & the level of study chosen by the students. Some institutions might have some specific eligibility criteria for admission. Some institutions may require the result of English Language Test.

Here are some general requirements for the different levels of study in Australia:

• English language – The entry requirements vary between institutions, and according to the level of English language course, the student wishes to study.
• Schools – The entry requirements vary between schools depending on the state/ UT the student will be studying in. The academic performance and the ability will be considered during the application process.
• Vocational education and training - In maximum cases there are no entrance exams for VET (Vocational education and training) institutions.
• Higher Education (UG) Undergraduate - To get entry into an Australian undergraduate program, the candidates need to have an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or equivalent. Some UG courses also have specific pre-requisite subjects.
• Higher Education (PG) Postgraduate - The successful completion of at least one degree at an undergraduate level, the institution may take research ability or relevant work experience into the consideration.

Check the Reliability of the Institution & Course to Study in Australia

The international student going on a  student visa must study in an institution & course that is registered on the CRICOS - Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. If an Institution & course is listed on CRICOS then it guarantees the high standards of the course as expected by international students. 

Australia is one of the most popular study destinations in the world. Australian universities are known to be well-prepared to welcome a large number of international students every year and also study in Australia for Indian students is a good option. Australia provides admission in various courses offered by around 1,100 institutions, and there is a great number of study options are available.

So students thinking of studying in Australia should check their course & Institution on CRICOS

Study in Australia - Top 20 Universities in Australia

Australian universities have ranked constantly in the Times Higher Education World University Ranking and QS World University Ranking. Those who wish to study in Australia can check the given list. Following is a list of the top 20 institutions in Australia along with their University rankings

 Fill this form to Study In Australia

Study in Australia - Australian Education System

The Australian education system is basically divided into Primary & Secondary Education and Tertiary Education.

Primary and Secondary Education: As per the education in Australia, the Australian school (primary and secondary) education system is divided into three parts beginning from Year 1 to Year 9 or 10. The school education covers about 13 years and is divided as follows:

• Primary School: Begins from Kindergarten till Year 6 or 7.
• Secondary School: From Year 7 or 8 till Year 10.
• Senior Secondary School:  This education includes years 11 and 12.

Tertiary Education: Upon completion of school education, students opt for tertiary education which includes higher education in universities and vocational education and training (VET).

The language of Instruction: The major language of instruction is English. Although there many institutions in the continent which provide bilingual programs, the main language of instruction remains English.

The primary, secondary and tertiary education is linked together through the Australian Qualifications Framework which is a set of guidelines formed to provide a pathway between the student's education and career ambitions.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) - Australian Government

It is a national policy of regulatory frameworks which provides a pathway between primary, secondary and tertiary education in Australia. The AQF qualifications help in providing a link between school, VET and higher education and works with respect to an individual’s career and learning requirements.

• AQF Policy is a set of guidelines which was launched in 1995 and includes 10 levels which include schools, university and vocational educational qualifications into one system.
• International students who are applying for study in Australia under AQF qualified Institutions can be assured that the institution is authorised and approved by the Australian government. It will also ensure that the candidate’s degrees and other AQF related qualifications will be genuine.
• Under this system, the universities in Australia are linked throughout the country and around the world, thereby making it easy for international students to move between education systems. A formal agreement and recognition framework such as the AQF will also ensure growth in the student’s education and fulfilment of career goals.

Cost of Study in Australia

The international students who are applying for study in Australia are required to pay their course fee even before beginning of the course. Although the cost of studying in Australia varies or might include other overhead expenses, the overall estimate of education in Australia for an international student is given below:

• School - $7,800 to $30,000
• English language studies - Around $300 per week depending on course length
• Vocational Education and Training (Certificates I to IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma) - $4,000 to $22,000
• Undergraduate Bachelor Degree - $15,000 to $33,000*
• Postgraduate Master’s Degree - $20,000 to $37,000*
• Doctoral Degree - $14,000 to $37,000*

Note: The fees given above is for the entire course. The cost of the expensive courses like medical and veterinary sciences have not been included in this list.

Scholarships to Study in Australia

The government of Australia sets aside approximately $300 million towards scholarships to international students each year. The international scholarships are awarded to about 5,000 international students, professionals and researchers who seek Australia as their destination for higher education, research and to continue professional development courses outside of their home country.

There are various scholarships to study in Australia available for international students offered by the state/territory governments and educational institutions to help students undertake higher education in Australia.

Study in Australia - Australian Government Scholarship

Australian state/territory governments and education institutions offer a range of other scholarships. The scholarships by the Australian government are as follows:

• Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships
• International Post Graduate Research Scholarship
• Australia Awards Scholarships

There are so many scholarships, grants, and bursaries available which can help support the students financially to study in Australia. These scholarships are offered by the Australian Government, education institutions, and a number of various public as well as private organisations. All the Australian Government Scholarships are available to international students. Apart from that, there are so many available to students of all nationalities, however, all the scholarships conditions are set by the institution/ organisation offering the scholarship and applications have to be filled directly with the scholarship provider.

Study in Australia - Scholarships that are offered by Australian universities

• Ashok Khurana Scholarships Program
• Rotary Peace Fellowship
• Adelaide International Undergraduate Scholarship
• Sydney Achievers International Scholarships
• Macquarie University International Scholarships
• Melbourne International Research Scholarships
• La Trobe Academic Excellence Scholarships for International Students
• Monash University International Merit Scholarships
• Flinders International Postgraduate Scholarships

Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships

These are merit-based scholarships offered by the Australian government for research, study in Australia and development programmes for students from Asia-Pacific, Middle East, America, and Europe. Under the scholarship, the department will provide a contractor who will provide the following services:

• Accommodation
• Maintenance allowance
• Travel insurance
• Provisions and advice related to health
• Dedicated case-manager
• Security
• Submit a report to the department regarding the progress of the scholar.

The applications will be able for the next academic session from April 2016. The various Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships include:

1. Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarships
2. Endeavour Research Fellowships
3. Endeavour Vocational Education and Training (VET) Scholarship
4. Endeavour, Executive Fellowship
5. Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowships

 Australian Government Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships 

Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarships: This scholarship is offered to students who plan to undertake Master’s or PhD in Australia. The scholarship covers the expenses of the scholars for 2 years for a Master’s scholar and for 4 years for a PhD scholar.

• For Master’s degree in Australia, the scholarship awards $140,500 annually towards tuition fee.
• For PhD: The scholars are awarded $272,500 under the Scholarship towards tuition fee.

Basically, the tuition fee is paid on a pro-rata basis at $15,000 per semester.

Endeavour Research Fellowships: The Fellowship is offered to candidates for a 4-6 month period in order to carry out short-term research in Australia for a non-Australian Masters or post-doctoral research or PhD. The total Fellowship amount is $24,500.

Endeavour Vocational Education and Training (VET) Scholarship: The Scholarship is offered to students who plan to pursue Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Degree in Australia for a period of 1-2.5 years and will be awarded $6500 per semester. The total reward covered under the Scholarship is $131,000 (approx.)

Endeavour Executive Fellowship: The Fellowship is offered to candidates who aim to carry out professional Development courses in Australia. The Fellows are offered a total of $18,500 during the Fellowship period which lasts between 1 and 4 months.

Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowships: This Fellowship is awarded to candidates who plan to carry out research towards a PhD or Master’s degree in the home country or to undertake post-doctoral research. The duration of the Fellowship is 4-6 months and the amount disbursed under the programme is $23,500.

Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships covers the following expenses:

• Travel allowance of $3000 which can move up to $4500 for special cases
• Establishment Allowance of $2000 for Fellowships and $4000 for Scholarships
• Monthly Stipend of $3000 paid on pro-rata basis during the period of the study programme
• Health Insurance
• Travel Insurance
• and a part of Tuition Fee.

International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS)

The government of Australia funds approximately $20 million each year and offers 330 IPRS for admissions into Australia’s Higher Education Providers (HEPs). The scholarship is awarded in via annual block grants to Australian HEPs, according to the section 46-20 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

Students are required to contact the concerned university directly in order to apply for this postgraduate Scholarship.

Eligibility

• Candidate must have secured Bachelor’s degree with first class honours or equivalent.
• In order to be eligible, the candidate is required to have applied for/gained admission at a university of higher education for research in Australia.

The scholarship enables candidates to undertake research programmes at the postgraduate level and gain experience by working with researchers in Australia. International students from all over the world, excluding New Zealand, can apply for this Scholarship.

• Students pursuing Research Master’s degree will be awarded the scholarship for a period of 2 years.
• Research doctorate degree students will be awarded the scholarship for a period of three years.

Australia Awards Scholarships

Australia Awards Scholarships is offered by the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.The Scholarship is awarded to unmarried students from some developing countries who are at least 18 years of age and plan to pursue full-time undergraduate or post-graduate courses to any of the participating Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Institutions.

The fields of study must be related to the priority areas of development in the home country of the candidate, as listed in the profiles of the participating countries.

The scholarship covers the following expenses of the student:

• Tuition Fee
• Travel Expenses
• Cost of accommodation
• Establishment Allowance
• Cost of living
• Medical Insurance, etc.

The above scholarships are offered by the Australian government. There are numerous scholarships and Fellowships offered by private universities. Some of them are mentioned below:

Ashok Khurana Scholarships Program

The Ashok Khurana scholarship is offered to outstanding Indian students who have gained admission at the University of Adelaide for postgraduate studies. Only one scholarship is awarded each year under the Scholarships Program. In order to be eligible, the student must be an Indian national or an international student with an Indian citizenship. Details about the scholarship

• The scholar will receive a total reward of $25,000 per year in order to cover the tuition fees, airfare and living expenses.
• The scholar is also likely to get a 50% discount on the tuition fee.

Rotary Peace Fellowship

Rotary Peace Fellowship is awarded to those fellows who want to pursue Masters or Certificate programs in the field of international relations, peace and conflict resolution from University Of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. There are total 100 fully paid fellowship available for studying at Rotary Peace Center located in various countries. Details of Rotary Peace Fellowship 

• The fellow receiving the fellowship will be eligible to go for a study of Masters or Certificate programs in the field of international relations, peace and conflict resolution.

Adelaide International Undergraduate Scholarship

The scholarship is offered to 40 students each year by the University of Adelaide for students of any country apart from New Zealand and Australia for pursuing undergraduate studies in Australia. The duration of the scholarship is 4 years. The scholarship offers a discount of 25% on tuition fee per year.

The scholarship is applicable for students who have secured 85% marks in the previous qualifying exam and who aim to undertake undergraduate studies in Australia under any of the following programs:

• Bachelor or Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)
• Bachelor of Dental Science (BDS)
• Bachelor of Oral Health and Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience)

Sydney Achievers International Scholarships 

The scholarship is offered by the University of Sydney in Australia for students who want to pursue an undergraduate or postgraduate program at the University and want to study in Australia. Under the scholarship, candidates will receive $10,000 per year during the scholarship period. The scholarship is open for undertaking study in any of the research disciplines.

The scholarship will also cover the living expenses along with the tuition fees of the students for up to three years. Exceptions are made for Ph.D. candidates for one extra semester.

Students are required to be enrolled at the University in order to be considered eligible for the scholarship.

Macquarie University International Scholarships

The Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s International Scholarship is offered by the Macquarie University to outstanding students from countries apart from New Zealand and Australia for pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies in Engineering, Human Science, Environment, Linguistics Media and Education.

The amount of the scholarship is AUD$10,000 (approx.) to study in Australia.

Melbourne International Research Scholarships

It is offered to international students who want to pursue undergraduate research degree program at the University of Melbourne. Candidate must belong to a country apart from New Zealand or Australia and must have opted for any graduate research degree (Master’s/PhD) program offered by the university.

The scholarship is awarded to 150 scholars per year for study in Australia and offers the following benefits:

• Living expenses
• Relocation Grant
• Thesis Allowance
• Paid leave
• Medical Insurance

La Trobe Academic Excellence Scholarships for International Students

La Trobe’s Academic Excellence Scholarships (AES) is open to international students for undertaking undergraduate or postgraduate studies at La Trobe University. The scholarship award ranges between AUD$10,000 AUD$20,000 and covers the tuition fees of the program. The scholarship is covered for only two semesters.

To apply for any Bachelor’s/Master’s degree offered by the university, the candidate must have secured at least 85% marks in the previous qualifying exam in order to be eligible for the scholarship and can study in Australia.

Monash University International Merit Scholarships

The scholarship is offered by Monash University to outstanding international students who plan to pursue Bachelor’s/Master’s degree at Monash University. The scholarship offers a reward of AUD$10,000 per year.

Students who want to study in Australia can apply for full-time undergraduate/postgraduate course under any field of study offered at Monash. The scholarship is offered to 31 candidates for the 2015-16 academic session.

Flinders International Postgraduate Scholarships

Flinders International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (FIPRS) is offered by the Flinders University for undertaking a full-time higher research degree at the University. The scholarship is offered for the three-year duration for Research Doctorate degree and up to two years for Research Master’s degree.

International candidates (apart from New Zealand) can apply for a research program in any fields of study offered at the University.

The scholarship also offers the following benefits:

• Living Expenses: It pays $25,395 per annum towards living expenses
• Establishment Allowance: FIPRS offers $1,485 which includes airfare and relocation

Study in Australia - Student visa Details 

The students who want to study in Australia will be required Australian Visa. The visa they need depends on the course selected by the students to study. The typical key Visa requirements for study in Australia are:

• Issued an eCoE certificate (electronic Confirmation of Enrolment)
• English language proficiency.
• Meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement. The students can get more information on this on the Department of Home Affairs website.
• A valid Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
• Sufficient funds for airfares, course fees as well as living costs.
• Meet health and character requirements.

Why study in Australia

There are so many reasons available to study in Australia. From beautiful location, beaches, landscapes, culture etc. Besides all that, Australia is referred as one of the most popular destinations for study in the world and Australian universities are known to welcome a large number of students from around the world each year. Australia offers admission in various programs offered in around 1,100 institutions, and there is a great number of study options are available there.

Australia country guide for students studying in Australia

The international students who study in Australia soon find that their education is challenging, fun, as well as rewarding. As an international student in Australia, a student can expect to live, grow and learn in a lively, friendly country which is full of opportunities. These international students who successfully complete their degree will soon find that they are competitive in today’s international job market.

One of the easiest ways to adjust in new a life in terms of studying in Australia for international students is that they can make use of their university’s international student services. These type of services will provide assistance on the following concerns:

• Visa assistance
• Orientation programs
• Career counselling
• Local advice and information
• Insurance consultations
• Language/ learning advice

All major educational institutions/ universities in Australia have these types of services available so that the students can find out what’s on offer within the first few days of adjusting to their home.