International Students

Overview

Living In Australia

Australia is one of the most culturally and naturally diverse countries in the world – famous for its beautiful coast lines and beaches, multicultural communities, vast and rugged outback, and bustling cities.

Living, studying and working in Australia can be a very exciting, safe and rewarding experience. We encourage all our students to do additional independent research and speak to friends or family that might be in Australia before arriving prior to course commencement.

Living expenses are approximately AUD $25,000 per year which should cover living expenses including accommodation, transportation, food and entertainment.

Knowing the average living costs in Australia is an important part of your financial preparation. For your reference, here are some of the costs associated with living and studying in Australia (all costs are in Australian dollars).

The costs below are an approximate guide only and don’t take into account your budget and spending habits.

Accommodation

• Hostels and Guesthouses – $90 to $150 per week
• Shared Rental – $95 to $215 per week
• On campus – $110 to $280 per week
• Homestay – $235 to $325 per week
• Rental – $185 to $440 per week
• Boarding schools – $11,000 to $22,000 a yea

Other living expenses

• Groceries and eating out – $140 to $280 per week
• Gas, electricity – $10 to $20 per week
• Phone and Internet – $15 to $30 per week
• Public transport – $30 to $60 per week
• Car (after purchase) – $150 to $260 per week
• Entertainment – $80 to $150 per week

Reference: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/english/live/living-costs

When choosing accommodation, the most important thing is to feel secure and happy, so you can focus on your studies and enjoy life. It is a good idea to research all your options before making a decision. The breakdown of accommodation costs is provided above.

You can rent a house or apartment from a real estate agent or a private landlord. For a listing of real estate agents visit:

• Domain
• Realestate

You can also search for accommodation on:

• Gumtree
• Flatmates

You can also search for Youth Hostels Youth Hostels in Sydney and NSW offer cheap, short -term accommodation. Most have a mix of private rooms and dormitory accommodation.

For more information visit: https://www.yha.com.au or https://www.getaroom.com

Studying With Apex in Australia

In Parramatta

The Apex Australia campus is located in Parramatta – a thriving cultural hub and business district in New South Wales, Australia, about 30 minutes from the Sydney city centre.

The campus is conveniently located, and is a walkable distance to:

• Trains and buses
• Cafés, restaurants and shopping centre
• Government service providers
• Sydney’s famous Paramatta river

The city of Parramatta is often regarded as the second Central Business District of Sydney. Founded by the British in 1788, Parramatta is the oldest inland European settlement in Australia and today operates as the economic capital of Greater Western Sydney.

Parramatta is a major business and commercial centre. It is also the major transport hub for Western Sydney, servicing trains and buses, as well as having a ferry wharf and future light rail and metro services.

Home to a great diversity of cultures, Parramatta has a fine selection of restaurants and ‘eat streets’ such as Church Street and Wigram Road. The vibrant arts and cultural scene include world-class performances at Riverside and Parramasala, a colourful annual festival.

Parramatta is home to Westfield Parramatta, a major shopping centre. Westfield Parramatta is located at 159-175 Church St, Parramatta 2150.

Students are encouraged to visit the Parramatta Heritage and Visitors Information Centre. The Centre is a unique starting point for discovering more about Parramatta.

Visit the Parramatta Information Centre 346A Church Street, Parramatta New South Wales 2150 For advice and free information brochures on Parramatta and regional areas:

• Centre’s staff can offer suggestions on how best to explore Parramatta’s heritage attractions
• Assistance with information about accommodation, meetings and conference venues, restaurants, entertainment and shopping, walks and tours.

In Melbourne

Melbourne as the capital of Victoria is Australia’s second biggest city and was considered as Australia’s most liveable city and 10th in the world in Global Liveability Index 2022. Melbourne is home to about 4.5 million people and students from more than 40 different countries. At least 100 languages are spoken by Melbourne residents including Mandarin, Cantonese, Greek, Italian, Hindi, and Vietnamese.

Melbourne prides itself on its vibrant mix of lifestyle, culture, and nature. It hosts nearly 2.5 million international visitors every year. Healthcare is also world-renowned as Melbournians have a life expectancy that is among the highest in the world. The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Alfred Health is among the top 50 best hospitals in the world according to Newsweek’s Top 50 Hospitals List in 2022.

Melbourne is home to world class universities, with at least 2 universities (Melbourne University and Monash University) in the Times Higher Education Top 50 Universities in the World.

According to https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/, Melbourne weather is “mild, temperate climate with summers that are warm, autumns that are moderate, winters that are cool, and springs that are sunny and bright.” However, weather changes quickly, which is why people always have an umbrella in their car or bring protective clothing most of the time.

Information Resources

Study in Australia and Study in Sydney are Australian government websites for international students. We have provided links to relevant pages on the website so you can be better prepared to study and live in Australia.

Ask Apex

Why study in Australia?

These links contain general information on the benefits of studying in Australia.

1. Why Australia?
2. Education Standards in Australia

Reference Websites

• Study in Australia
• Study in Sydney
• Study in Melbourne
• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

International Students With School-Aged Children

If you are a current or intending international student, please be advised that Australian laws mandates your obligations to ensure that any school-aged dependents (in the state of New South Wales compulsory school age is when the child is of or above six (6) years and below the school leaving age which is seventeen (17) years of age. Ref: NSW EDUCATION ACT 1990 – SECT 21B) accompanying you must be enrolled into a school.

For more Information on bring children to Australia, visit Study in Australia.

Education System

School education (primary and secondary) is compulsory between the ages of six and sixteen (Year 1 to Year 9 or 10). School education is 13 years and divided into:

• Primary school – Runs for seven or eight years, starting at Kindergarten/Preparatory through to Year 6 or 7.
• Secondary school – Runs for three or four years, from Years 7 to 10 or 8 to 10.
• Senior secondary school – Runs for two years, Years 11 and 12.

Your options for the schooling of your school aged dependents in the state of NSW are:

• Finding a Government School (Public School)
• Finding a Non-Government School (Private School)
• School Fees in NSW – A Guide

School fees will be payable before your child commences studying. The fee will vary between $8,500 – $10,500 per year depending on the school year (or grade) of your child.

Please visit Study Australia for more information

Your options for the schooling of your school aged children in Melbourne:

• Australian Schools Directory – Melbourne
• Melbourne Private School Guide
• School Costs and Fees – Victoria

Visas, Entry Requirements and Applications

General Information

• Overseas student visa holders must maintain their course progress as required by the Apex Course Progress Policy.
• Apex expects all its students to attend all of the scheduled classes to progress well in their courses.
• Students are notified by the SSO or Course Coordinator if their progress falls below required level.
• Students must notify Apex if they change their contact details (residential address, email address and phone number). They must also notify of their Emergency contacts details.

Overseas Student Visa Requirements

Overseas students need to hold a Subclass 500 Student Visa to study in Australia. This is valid for up to 5 years based on your educational enrolment. For further information, please go to Australian government Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website

While in Australia, students also need to be enrolled in a course of study in Australia, have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories, and hold an eligible substantive visa.

Useful information for overseas students include:

• Department of Education
• Study Australia
• Study NSW
• Study Melbourne
• Study Victoria

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

If you are a student from overseas on a temporary student visa it is a condition of your visa to maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia. You need to purchase Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and keep your policy up to date whilst you are in Australia and holding a student visa.

OSHC assists international students to meet the costs of medical and hospital care they may need while in Australia. OSHC also includes ambulance cover and limited pharmaceuticals.

As holding OSHC is a visa requirement, take care to maintain your cover at all times. If you do fall behind in payments (in arrears) or renewing your cover, you will be able to continue your cover but you may not be able to claim for services you received while you were in arrears.

If your visa status or Medicare eligibility changes at any time, inform your insurer as soon as possible to find out whether your level of cover is still suitable. When your student visa expires, then you are no longer eligible to hold OSHC. You can then swap over to a residents’ cover or to an Overseas Visitors Health Cover plan.

Financial Requirements

The Department of Home Affairs has financial requirements you must meet in order to receive a student visa for Australia.

As of 2 May 2024, the 12- month living costs are:

• You (Student) – AUD$29,710
• For partners coming with you – AUD$10,394
• For a child coming with you – AUD$4,449
• School costs for each child from 5 to 17 years – $13,502

Study Australia – Preparing to Travel

This pre-departure checklist will help you prepare for your travels to Australia.

• Passport
• Visa
• Flights
• Travel insurance
• Money
• Accommodation
• Arrange transport to your accommodation
• Packing your bag
• Hand luggage
• What to expect on arrival
• Check travel and border requirements
• What you can (and can’t) bring into Australia
• Planning to work?
• Have fun!

For more details, click here

Pre-Departure Checklist

Before boarding your flight to Australia, you need to make sure you have prepared the following:

• Passport – Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you arrive in Australia
• Student Visa documentation – Take this with you to the airport
• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) – Take a print out of your CoE to the aiport
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
• Travel Insurance
• Details of emergency contacts, your embassy, Apex Australia Higher Education and accomodation in Australia.
• Australian currency

Frequently asked questions

What are the IT requirements for students?

Apex Australia will provide students with free access to WiFi for learning purposes across the campus.

All students are expected to bring their laptops to classes to access learning materials provided through Moodle and to complete their assessments.

Apex Australia has a computer lab and learning areas for students equipped with computers, tablets and WiFi for students to access learning resources and complete assessments.

Students can also access Apex Australia Library resources including book catalogues, journal databases, financial data and articles on their own laptops or in the computer lab via the website.