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It’s not hard to understand why so many international students want to move to Australia. The country has a world-class education system, excellent climate, and high quality of life. But studying in Australia can be expensive – and you need to be financially prepared before you take the leap.
In this blog, we’ll help you get started. We’ll explore the student loan options available for international students in Australia, as well as other ways to fund your studies.
Before you begin to research student loans, it’s important to understand how much it costs to live and study in Australia. You can use the Course Search Tool to find out detailed tuition fee for your dream course and the Cost of Living Calculator to estimate the living cost based on the city you want to move to.
Australia’s student loan system is known as the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). Unfortunately, HELP can only be accessed by Australian citizens or individuals who hold a humanitarian visa. However, there are still lots of other student loans available for international students in Australia.
Universities across Australia provide loans for local and international students. Most institutions offer both short-term and long-term loans; these can help students cover emergencies, as well as pay for bigger expenses.
Here are a few examples of what some universities offer:
The University of Melbourne will loan eligible students up to$5,000 AUD ($3,883 USD) if they have an Australian co-signer. They’ll loan students up to $3,000 AUD ($2,330 USD) if their co-signer lives overseas or isn’t an Australian citizen/ permanent resident.
The University of Sydney offers loans up to $2,000 ($1,550 USD), which can be paid back up to two years after graduation.
Students in need of financial assistance at Monash University can take out loans between $750-$3,000 AUD ($544 – $2,330 USD), to be paid back within 6-12 months.
Universities across Australia offer similar loans. It’s best to check directly with your institution to see exactly what loans are available to students – and to make sure you’re eligible.
You might be eligible to take out federal student loans in your home country to study in Australia. For example, students from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, Norway, or Denmark who attend the University of Sydney can access government funding from home.
A private loan is one of the simplest forms of international student loans in Australia: you borrow money from a bank or similar lender and repay the loan (with interest) over an agreed-upon period of time. These loans can be secured – which means they’re tied to collateral – or unsecured. But with unsecured loans, interest rates are usually higher.
Student loans aren’t the only way to pay for your education in Australia. Here are a few other options to consider:
Many international students are attracted to Australia because they know they’ll be able to work. Unlike other studies abroad destinations, you can work up to 48 hours every two weeks while studying and unlimited hours during study breaks on an Australian student visa. Even more, the minimum wage in Australia is $24.10 per hour or $915.90 per week – meaning many international students are able to pay for some of the costs associated with living in Australia while they study.
There are a number of scholarship opportunities for international students in Australia – both funded by the government, and universities. Some, like Australia Awards scholarships, support students with full tuition, living costs, and airfare. Check out the Australian Government’s search tool to find a scholarship that’s right for you.
Read more: scholarships for international students in Australia
To apply for a student visa in Australia, you need to prove you have sufficient funds. For this reason, many students decide to take out a private bank loan in their home country before coming to study in Australia.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to fund your studies in Australia as an international student. But everyone’s financial situation is different, so we recommend doing lots of research to find a loan you feel confident about – and one that will work for you both during, and after university.
Still, deciding where in the world you want to study? Check out our article types of loans for international students, which explores more loan options in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
We are not immigration agents. For all up-to-date information about visa rules and regulations, see the official guidelines on the Australia Department of Home Affairs website.
Last updated 20 December 2024.
PTE Academic is completed on a computer, including the speaking part of the test.
So make sure you are prepared by familiarizing yourself with the equipment you will use during your test. Reading these test tips and you will be fully prepared.
There are many ways you can improve your chances of gaining points in Part 2: Reading during PTE Academic.
To improve your reading skills, practice increasing your reading speed and comprehension at the same time. In turn, you will improve your writing, grammar and vocabulary skills.
To do well in this part of the test, you need to be able to read quickly, using effective reading strategies, as there is a limited time to answer all questions.
Speed reading tasks will help improve your reading speed. Practice speed reading every day and:
Aim to be reading at least 220 words per minute
Reading short articles of around 300 words
Read often for short periods of time
You can also try this as a challenge with your friends to help keep motivated. Once you are happy with your comprehension and speed, focus on chunks (groups of words) rather than individual words.
When your reading skills reach a level you are happy with, you will feel more confident to answer the questions.
In the Multiple-Choice, Single Answer question type, some test takers make the mistake of scan reading and matching the words in the text to the words in the answer. Generally, the words in the text are not used in the correct answer, therefore it is important to learn how to use synonyms and paraphrasing as it will be used in the test.
Learn how to improve your grammar in our Reading: Core Skills part 1 article.
In this question type, you will need more time than in the Multiple-Choice, Choose Single Answer question type, as you need to intensively read the stem (the part before the options) as well as the options, then scan read the text on the screen until you find the part of the text that contains information that was in the stem.
Read the options very carefully and match the meaning of the option with the text. Do not match the words – this is something test takers may make errors with.
You should also make sure not to choose all the options since you lose one point for each incorrect choice. However, you cannot score below zero.
To do well in the Re-order Paragraphs questions, you will need to have a strong understanding of cohesive devices and how they work. You will also need to understand how articles work, as well as the logical and chronological order of information.
In this question type, skim-read the text to get the ideas of the topic of the text. From there, you should read all the sentences carefully.
For both Fill in the Blanks and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks question types, you will need to understand a range of vocabulary, collocations, grammar, pronouns, and cohesive devices, as well as being able to identify when plural nouns are needed.
You will also need to be able to skim read to get an idea of the meaning of the text, then read intensively before and after each blank. If unsure, you should guess based on the context.
Make sure you do not leave any spaces blank. You do not need to correctly fill in all spaces to get points.
To go back and review the question types within the reading test, we suggest learning more about the reading questions.
Explore Smart Prep, which combines all our practice materials in one place, so it's easier for you to stay on track with your PTE preparation.
Smart Prep is a clear path to test day, guiding you through the official paid and free resources available for your test
It can be accessed whether you’ve booked a test or not – just create, or sign in to your myPTE account
Preparation materials include guided practice tests, introductory videos, video courses and test tips.
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Do you have your heart set on studying in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland? The UK is a wonderful place to live and learn, but you’ll most likely need to get a UK study visa before you start packing your bags.
This comprehensive guide covers who needs a UK student visa, the requirements for getting one, how to apply, how much it costs, and how long it takes.
If you’re an international student hoping to study in the UK, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The only exceptions are nationals of Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), who don’t need a visa to enter the UK. *
* Please note: The outcome of Brexit may alter this after 2020. Check the UK government’s website for up-to-date information about this.
There are several UK study visa requirements you’ll need to meet to successfully apply. These include:
You’ve been offered a place in a full-time course from an eligible university (i.e. the school must be a licensed Student route visa*Tier 4 sponsors)
You can understand English (both written and spoken)
You have enough funds to support yourself and any dependants, while also paying for the course.
These requirements apply to students from all over the world. This means the UK student visa requirements for Indian students and American students are exactly the same for Chinese students and Australian students (and so on).
