The Australian education landscape consists of universities (public, foreign and private owned) and TAFE (Technical and Further Education) providers and PTEs which are private training education providers

Universities: Public, Private and Foreign (There are 43 universities in Australia. Out of which, 40 are public, 2 foreign and 1 private)

TAFEs: Technical And Further Education (they are similar to polytechnics in India and Community Colleges in Canada)

Private Colleges: There will be PTEs in all the states and territories of Australia

There are many reasons why Indian choose to study in Australia and the Australian Government is inviting students to come and study in their country by showcasing their universities world rankings, research potential and its research impact on millions of lives across the globe and scholarships for the meritorious students and post study work rights for international students to be able to work and gain some experience to boost the value of their resume. Some of the popular reasons why students choose to study in Australia are furnished below

Universities across Australia enjoy a reputation globally for their quality of research, teaching quality, student engagement and graduate employability

Huge program choice that fits into your academic needs and career goals like - Information Technology, Computer Science (AI, DS, ML, AR, VR, Business Analytics, Cyber Security, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things and Information Systems), Engineering (Civil, Construction Management, Structural, Electrical, Renewable Energy, Mechanical, Advanced Manufacturing), Business & Management, MBA, Accounting & Finance, Public Health, Healthcare Management, Pharmacy and Sports Management, Agriculture Science, Hospitality & Tourism.

Scholarships and bursaries upto 35% on the tuition fee for the whole program duration for the academically meritorious* .

Admission process is very simple and transparent - 60% and above in Bachelors + English proficiency test (IELTS/PTE) + Statement of purpose which outlines why you choose Australia and say X University and Y program and how the chosen university and program would help you down the line to achieve your professional goals or career aspirations.

The best in terms of post study work visa in comparison to any country - students upon graduation can stay upto 6 years depending on which city they live and study*

Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane need no introduction for the quality of life, living standards and opportunities for the highly competitive and perpetually optimistic.

Students are allowed to work 48 hours per fortnight when the classes are ON and full-time which is 40 hours per week during academic breaks. And the national minimum wage is $21.38 per hour which is the highest in the world.

International students with degrees in areas of skill shortages will have an extra 2 years to stay and work in Australia under the new visa changes announced by Education Minister Jason Clare. Under the changes bachelor degree graduates will be able to stay for 4 years, up from two. Master's graduates will have their post-study work-rights visas increased from three to five and PhD graduates will be able to stay six years, up from four.

Australian universities have very liberal scholarships to help students with the financial aid to embark on the journey of study in Australia to achieve their academic needs and career goals. Most of the universities offer academic merit scholarships which are linked to the academic percentage that the student has scored in his Class 12 and his undergraduation like B.Com/BBA/BSc/ B.Tech and alike. To decipher it more easily few scholarships offered by some of the universities are mentioned below for your reference (they are limited to the year 2022).

The academic year in Australia is from February to November. Summer officially lasts from 1 st December to 28 th February. Australia university courses generally start in February/March with some courses having an additional intake in June/July and October/November.

Intakes:
* Semester/ Trimester 1: Starts late February/early March to late May/early June
* Semester/ Trimester 2: Starts late July/early August
* Semester/ Trimester 3: Starts September to late November

Programs:
Ph.D. - Typically takes 3 to 5 years
* Masters (Research/Thesis-based) Typically 2 years
* Master (Coursework) 1 year to 2 years
* Bachelors Typically 3 years / Bachelors (Honours) – 4 years
* Diploma – Typically 2 years Language Proficiency Requirements:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic)
* (Ph.D. Usually 6.5 overall score)
* (Masters Usually 6.5 bands with no less than 6. Some however accept overall 6*)
* (Bachelors Usually 6 bands with no band less than 5.5 bands) Pearson Test of English(PTE)
* (Ph.D. Usually an overall score of 61)
* (Masters Usually 58 with no band less than 50.*)
* (Bachelors Usually an overall score of 52)

* Universities accept both 15 years and 16 years of education
* Ideally the percentage must be a min of 60% and above. However, the exception is some universities accept 55% and above and backlogs (unsuccessful attempts/fails) to the tune to 10 to 15 (university and program specific this is)
* Language proficiency: The most common tests are IELTS and PTE
* SOP is a must for all the universities at the time of admission
Evidence of employment, internship credentials, vendor certifications and cv, if you have to be submitted at the time to application to university

Well this question has different dimensions because the cost depends on the state you choose to study, the university and its reputation, the program and the level of study. For your understanding, brief information about the cost of studying in Australia is mentioned below for your reference.

* Bachelors: AUD 20,000 to AUD 40,000 a year
* Masters: AUD 20,000 to AUD 50,000 a year
* Living Expenses: As per the government of Australia, as of 10th May 2024, the annual living costs are; For Primary applicant - AUD29,710, For Spouce or partner coming with you - AUD10,394 and For a child coming with you - AUD4,449.

All your academics that are used in support for an admission to an Australian university
* Proof of enrolment (eCOE - Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment)
* Visa application fee
* Proof of health examination
* Proof of English proficiency
* Proof of funds to establish that you can meet the tuition fee and living expenses without having to work while study
* Genuine Temporary Entrant statement
* Any internship or experience documents, if you have
* Passport with a minimum one year validity from the date of intake commencement

The opportunity to stay in Australia to work and gain valuable professional experience to enhance the career prospects at the global level and back in India has always been a game changer for students choosing to study and zeroing on a destination to study, live and work abroad. Australia has increased the post study work rights for international students to attract more and more students and to make its student visa policy highly attractive for international students. Depending on the city, the level of program a student chooses to study, he/she would qualify for a post study work rights for upto 6 years under the present circumstances!