UNDERgRADUATE PROSPECTUS - Study Brisbane

Financial Information
Nursing students Erilee Woodings (left) and Mark Hingst at the UQ Ipswich Library café
STUDENTS SUPPORTING
DEPENDANTS
If you are bringing a spouse and/or children
to Australia you will need to have enough
money to support them before the Australian
Government will issue a visa (see page 96).
You can find a comprehensive guide to family
and spouse issues in the Student Services
guide Families of International Students,
available at www.uq.edu.au/internationalguide/index.html
(Planning your Arrival), or by
emailing internationalstudentss@uq.edu.au.
Further information is also available on the
DIAC website at www.immi.gov.au
Childcare costs
Childcare costs in Australia are very high.
It is important that you contact childcare
centres directly for fee information before you
arrive (see page 20).
School tuition fees for children
DIAC requires that dependant children between
the ages of five and 18 attend school fulltime
as a condition of the dependant visa.
International fee-paying students must pay
school tuition fees for school-aged children.
In 2011, the annual fees at Queensland
Government schools were as follows:
AGE
FEE (AUD$)*
Prep Year (optional) (age 5 by 30 June) $8400
Primary
– Years 1-7 (age six by 30 June)
Junior secondary
– Years 8-10 (ages 12 to 15)
Senior secondary
– Years 11-12 (ages 16 to 18)
$8400
$8620
$9740
*These fees may increase in 2012
Note that application fees may apply for entry into
schools in Queensland.
In Queensland, all state schools offer an
optional Prep Year in place of a pre-school
year (see http://education.qld.gov.au/
studentservices/inclusive/prep/). The process
of enrolling children in schools is different in
each state in Australia. In Queensland, you
cannot enrol (register) a child in a school until
he or she has arrived in the state. Section 9(1)
of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006
(EGPA) states that a child is of compulsory
school age if he or she is at least six years and
six months. If you have school-aged children,
you should email internationalstudentss@
uq.edu.au when you accept your offer of a
place at UQ to get more information about
organising a “proof of school enrolment”
(Certificate of Enrolment) for your child’s
dependant visa and school enrolment. You can
find more general information about the school
“enrolment” process at www.eqi.com.au/
programs/dependant-student.html
If you have received a scholarship from
the Australian government, or your home
government, you may be exempt from paying
school tuition fees for your school-aged
children who attend government schools for
compulsory years of schooling. If this applies
to you, please contact an International Student
Advisor in Student Services before applying for a
dependant visa so that you can find out whether
your particular scholarship entitles you to an
exemption from dependant school tuition fees,
and to get help with the process. The policy on
waiver of school tuition fees is at www.eqi.com.
au/programs/dependant-student.htm
Student Services
www.uq.edu.au/student-services
International Administrative Officer - Student
Services
Email internationalstudentss@uq.edu.au
Phone +61 7 3365 1704
Fax +61 7 3365 1702
EMPLOYMENT
OPTIONS
International students and dependants
in Australia on student dependant visas,
who are residing in Australia and who wish
to work, must have a student visa that
includes permission to work.
Initial student visas and dependant student
visas all include “work rights”. If for any reason,
the student visa is issued without the right
to work, a permission to work student visa
will need to be applied for after commencing
classes. A Tax File Number is also needed
before undertaking work.
You will hear more information about
applying for the student visa with permission to
work, the Tax File Number, and obtaining parttime
work while studying during Orientation
week. Information about dependants working
will be covered in the Families of International
Students session.
In general, students should not expect
to cover tuition fees or living expenses from
casual work. Holders of a student visa with
work rights can work up to 20 hours per week
while their University program is in session, and
full-time when their academic program is not
in session. Research Higher Degree students
have further restrictions. If you are studying at
UQ on a scholarship, you should contact your
scholarship provider regarding the number of
hours you are permitted to work each week.
Part-time work can be difficult to find and
there is strong competition. An Employment
Officer at UQ St Lucia can help you look
for part-time work, most of which is nonprofessional,
such as waiting on tables,
cleaning, or sales.
UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS 2012
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