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ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/11/2003 20 May 2003
Australia strengthens its attraction to international students
New initiatives under the Australian Government's 2003-04 Budget will strengthen the attraction of Australia to international students, the Australian High Commissioner to India, Ms Penny Wensley AO, said today.
With more than 280,000 international students - including about 9,000 from India - currently studying an Australian educational qualification, Australia has become the third largest English-speaking destination for international students.
"Australia values these students as they contribute to the vibrancy and quality of Australia's education institutions and its society," Ms Wensley said.
She noted that some recent misleading media reports of initiatives under the 2003-04 Australian Budget had focused on the introduction of extra fees that would be paid by international students. She said that the facts were that international students will be required to pay an additional $A85 for their visa fee and some may be required to pay an additional $A25 to their education institution.
These modest increases changes would raise $A70 million over the next four years from all international students studying in Australia. The funds raised by these additional charges will be used for measures to help international students, including:
- providing more scholarships for high- performing overseas student to study in Australia;
- providing better information (including online) for international students, so they can make informed choices about study in Australia;
- and enhancing the enforcement of Australia's unique laws that protect the rights and of international students and ensures the quality of their education.
Research conducted jointly by the Australian Government and IDP Education Australia shows Australia's continuing major cost advantages in the global education market:
- the cost of living for international students in the United Kingdom and the United States of America is over 40% higher than it is in Australia;
- UK course fees are between 35% and 100% higher than the tuition fees charged by Australian institutions for the same course;
- tuition fees at public universities in the US are 20% to 75% higher than those in Australia; and
- tuition fees at private universities in the US are up to four times as high than those in Australia.
"The funds raised by these small fee increases will be used to benefit international students and add to the attraction of Australia as a high quality education destination," said Ms Wensley.
"There are now record numbers of post-graduate students from India applying to study in Australia and the recent changes announced by the Australian Government will help ensure this trend continues."
For further details, please contact Mr Quentin Stevenson-Perks, Counsellor (Education and Training), Australian High Commission, New Delhi, on telephone 2688 8223 extn 256.