MELBOURNE: Australia’s education minister Jason Clare said the country has more than doubled the cost of student visa fees for international students because education is an incredibly important national asset. “We need to ensure its integrity and quality,” he said.
The fee hike move has, however, triggered outrage from student groups. Yeganeh Soltanpour, the national president of the Council of International Students Australia, said the fee increase, combined with high deposit costs, places extra strain on international students.”The possibility of spending all that money only to face rejection is quite disheartening… It has caused many in the student community to explore other options,” she said.
Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia, told ABC News that the announcement was the “last straw” for the international education sector, which has already suffered from a slowdown in visa approvals. “We are really in danger of losing a $48 billion a year industry,” he said, adding that it will “heavily impact” on relationships with our Indo-Pacific neighbours who rely on Australia to deliver world-class qualifications to young people. He said this change could drive prospective students to the UK, Australia’s closest competitor, which currently charges $900 for student visa fees.
The fee hike move has, however, triggered outrage from student groups. Yeganeh Soltanpour, the national president of the Council of International Students Australia, said the fee increase, combined with high deposit costs, places extra strain on international students.”The possibility of spending all that money only to face rejection is quite disheartening… It has caused many in the student community to explore other options,” she said.
Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia, told ABC News that the announcement was the “last straw” for the international education sector, which has already suffered from a slowdown in visa approvals. “We are really in danger of losing a $48 billion a year industry,” he said, adding that it will “heavily impact” on relationships with our Indo-Pacific neighbours who rely on Australia to deliver world-class qualifications to young people. He said this change could drive prospective students to the UK, Australia’s closest competitor, which currently charges $900 for student visa fees.
