Study in Australia Has High Rate of Student Satisfaction!
Australian Education Has High Satisfaction Rate
Study in Australia has many positive attributes, the biggest being the high level of 
student satisfaction rate. Some of the significant statistics that we can quote for study abroad students interested in option for Australian education are:
- 80% graduates in Australia find full time employment within 4 months of completing their course
- 86% student satisfaction in terms of overall living
- 84% students are satisfied with their studies
- 86% international students are satisfied with the info provided to them upon arrival
Since the unfortunate incidents of racial attacks on Indian students, Australian Government has become quite active about safety and security of international students down under. It is also propagating two of its well-defined laws - ESOS Act and CRICOS Code - that have especially been designed to safeguard the interests of students in Australia.
ESOS Act is a consumer protection act under this a student has the right to education. If students are not satisfied with the college or university they are currently enrolled in, they can claim refund or request for admission to an alternate place of study.
CRICOS Code is provide by the Government to all the educational institutions in Australia and is a guarantee that the education providers are of international standards and meet the highest standards set by the Government.
Ranking of Australian Universities
There are 39 Universities and 14 TAFE colleges in Australia. All of them are well recognized by International Employers and Universities all over the world. There is no official system of ranking followed in Australia. However, Australian High Commission does recommend students to follow the ranking of Australian Universities by the following bodies:
- QS World University Ranking
- Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic ranking of World universities
Top Colleges in Australia
The top Universities in Australia are the Group of Eight Universities or G8 Universities, which can be considered equivalent to Ivy League Schools in US.
G8 Universities in Australia are:
- Australian National University
- The University of Queensland
- The University of Sydney
- The University of Western Australia
- The University of Melbourne
- The University of New South Wales
- The University of Wales
- Monash University
Read more about Top Colleges in Australia
Fees and Living Costs in Australia
The tuition fee for any UG or PG course in Australia is approximately 6-7 lakhs per annum. The costs can go up depending on the University a student applies to. For instance, the G8 universities would charge higher than a non-G8 university.
The living expense is set at AUD 12,000 per annum for all UG and PG courses. While computing the total expenses, students should also include AUD 2,000 for travelling expenses. Cities like Sydney and Melbourne cost more than cities like Adelaide and Perth.
Scholarships and Awards for Indian Students in Australia
There are lots of scholarships available for International students opting to study in Australia. Some of them are awarded by the Government which amount to nearly AUD 200 million. Others are institutional scholarships offered by some of the universities.
Read more about Scholarships and Awards for Indian Students in Australia
Eligibility Requirements for Getting Admission to Australian Universities:
Eligibility requirements in Australia vary from University to University and College to College. A higher percentage is required to pursue a UG course. A mediocre ranking university may accept a student with 65% in Class 12 whereas Universities with G8 status may ask for a minimum of 80-85% in Class 12.
Students completing 10+2 from CBSE board are most welcomed. The other Indian State Board exams are also acceptable as long as they have a place for themselves in the NOOSR guide (A guide to Indian Educational Institutes prepared by Australia Government. The higher the section a University or College belongs to the lesser is the minimal expectation from a student.
For instance, a 50% from a section 1 University is considered equivalent to 60% from section 2 and 70% from section 3 University. Indian Universities are classified into 5 sections and students are accepted only from top 4 sections. The Section 5 includes about 10 Universities which are blacklisted and the Australian Universities do not accept students from these Universities.
For PG courses a minimum of 60% is expected at UG level. Some courses may have higher requirements. But again NOOSR guide should be referred alongside.
IELTS is mandatory and a minimum of 6.0 for UG and 6.5 for PG courses is required. TOEFL may be accepted by the Universities but not by the Australian High Commission. Hence, students interested in going to Australia must only appear for IELTS.
Application Procedure
It is recommended that students begin applying 6 months before their course commences and apply for visa at least 4 months before their class start date.
Classes commence twice a year. The main intake is in Jan/Feb every year and the second intake is in July every year. But it's the July intake that suits the Indian students most, as they can straight away apply for PG courses. For Feb intake, students need to wait and most of the students are not ready to waste any time.
To apply for admission, students need to submit attested photocopies of their documents. The attestation can be done by an authorized agent or the documents should be notarized. All educational documents, along with work experience letters if any - including statement of purpose (not mandatory if applying for the same subject at PG level), a copy of biometric pages of passport, and IELTS score sheet - should be submitted along with application form for admission.
The Universities take about 4-6 weeks for assessment. The first semester fee needs to be paid for electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE), which is mandatory to apply for visa.
Latest Visa Rules
Student Visa Rules for Australia are almost same as before. Only blood relatives can sponsor the students. There are 5 subclasses under which the courses have been categorized and sponsors are permitted based on what level of course a student is applying for. For most UG and PG courses, the subclass is 573 and under this any relative (a close relation is preferable) can sponsor. It is advised that there are not more than 2-3 sponsors. The funds should be at least 3 months old, i.e., there should be required money in account for at least 3 months. The rest of the rules have not been changed much.
Since Australia is still in need of skilled people, there are lots of job opportunities available for international students in the country.
Source: Sagarika Sharma
Date: 21st May, 2011
