Australian School-Costs & Accommodation

Cost of Schooling in Australia

School-level education in Australia is very cost effective, especially compared to other English-speaking countries. Costs vary from State to State and depend on whether students attend public or non-government schools. However, the following costs show what overseas students can expect:

TYPE OF COST	COST – $AUD
Application fees These cover the costs of reviewing the student\’s application, even though the student may not be accepted by the school.	Variable
Tuition This depends on the school selected.	$6,000 – 15,000 per year
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) This covers normal childhood accidents and illnesses.	$420 per year
Accommodation This cost varies considerably.	$70 – 400 per week
Other incidentals For example, school uniforms, living expenses and learning materials.	Variable

Accommodation for Overseas Students

There are several accommodation options for international students such as:

Boarding school

Many non-government secondary schools provide accommodation, meals and laundry services for international students.Tuition fees are in addition to the boarding fees.

Homestay

• This is popular with younger students and those studying short-term English courses.
• Students can live with an Australian family, gain access to the Australian lifestyle and practise English in a natural and friendly way.
• Meals are usually included in the cost and single or shared rooms may be offered.
• Self-catering homestay is sometimes available at a cheaper price.

Farmstay

This offers the same or similar services as a homestay, but in a rural setting. It can be suitable for short stays.

Share or Rental Accommodation

Students over 18 may share or rent an apartment or house.

Approximate costs for each type of accommodation are shown below:

TYPE	APPROXIMATE COST
Boarding School	A$11,000 – 22,000 per year
Homestay / Farmstay	A$235 – 325 per week
Share Accommodation	A$95 – 215 per week
Rental Accommodation	A$185 – 440 per week