There are various types of scholarships available in Australia for deserving international students. Every year AusAid sends out calls for full scholarships. Those who can prove their aptitude for academics can thus avail themselves of full scholarships in the renowned universities in Australia.

We are committed to providing right guidance for Australian Education: Consultancy owners say

Narayan Bajaj, Global Reach
One of the most attractive things about paying for an Australian education is that the Australian government guarantees the investments made by international students. Unlike many other countries, Australia endorsed a law in 2000 that provides financial safety to overseas students. So students who wish to pursue their higher education in Australia don’t have to worry about their investment if the transactions for their fees and so on are made through the proper banking channels. If the university discontinues its service or shuts down due to any reason, the students get to complete their equivalent degree in another university.

Hemant Bhattarai, Mentor Institute
The current trend here is that students who seek counselling services at educational consultancies don’t bring along their parents for the counselling sessions. This is true in almost 90 percent of the cases. My suggestion is that the parents visit the consultancies too, to become more aware of every aspect of the education system their children hope to become a part of. The parents should thoroughly evaluate the fee structure, course of study and the scope of the course, and all the preparations should be made accordingly before they send their children abroad.

Kumar Karki, Landmark Education Consultancy Centre
Recently, various cases have been reported that Nepali students in Australia have been shifting their universities from costlier to cheaper ones. This is the result of weak preparation by the students before they went about selecting the academic institutions. When students shift universities, they often increase the duration of their study period. That is why students need to be clear about where they want to study, based on what they can afford. There are different types of universities in Australia and their tuition fees vary accordingly. Don’t go abroad if you cannot afford your tuition fee.

Yogesh Chhetri, Bridge Blue Global Nepal
There are various types of scholarships available in Australia for deserving international students. Every year AusAid sends out calls for full scholarships. Those who can prove their aptitude for academics can thus avail themselves of full scholarships in the renowned universities in Australia. Similarly, there are many types of full and partial scholarships provided by universities to exceptional students. Such scholarships are either need-based or merit-based.

Prem Pandey, Dolphin Education Consultancy
The Australian government has updated its visa policy to make it is easier for students who are pressed for time. Aiming to systematise the visa-processing system, the Australian government endorsed what it calls the Streamlined Visa Processing (SVP) system two years ago. Before the system was in place the Australian High Commission used to solely decide the students’ fates, but now universities have an equal say in the process. The SVP is used for students applying for a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate and research programmes, but not for those applying for the diploma or graduate diploma levels.

SK Shrestha, Professional Education Consultancy
There are three categories of students who seek to go to Australia using the education visa. There are students whose sole intension is study; there are others who want to pursue an education while working a job on the side; and there are some want to use an education visa as a means to enter Australia. Our suggestion is that students should not focus on earning before they complete their course. There are plenty of job opportunities waiting for them once they complete their education with good grades. Our duty is to show them a path, but the ultimate deciders are the students themselves

Uttam Prasad Pant, Universal Language and Computer Institute
From the very beginning, the consultancies here focused on providing counselling to students to help them get admitted to foreign colleges and universities. But it’s time to change this focus. Now, career counselling should be the top priority instead. It’s sad that after sending our students abroad, and after they’ve got global exposure and educated themselves in the better educational systems the world has to offer, such as in Australia, it’s difficult to get them to return here and use their expertise for the country’s development. We need to initiate a process that stems the brain drain and we need to make a push for ‘brain gain’; the government should support us in this initiative.

Udhav Khadka, Hub International Education
Australian education is not cheap. The cost varies with the universities and courses along with the location. On average, education there costs around Aus$ 8,000 to 13,000 per semester, apart from the living cost. We recommend that the students come up with the tuition fee and living cost for at least one year before going to Australia and that they have plans for managing the remaining cost based on the duration of their study. The annual living cost calculated by the Australian government is Aus$ 18,000.

Bigyan Shrestha, Unicampus Education Network
Australia is among the few countries in the world that provides post-study work (PSW) facilities to those who complete two years of study in the country. Students with good marks have ample opportunities to make handsome earnings. The PSW system, which came into effect in 2013, aims at empowering students with practical knowledge after they finish their studies. Students who complete their bachelor’s, and master’s levels are allowed two years of PSW, those who complete a research degree are allowed three and those who complete their doctorates there get four years. The students can cover all of their investment from the PSW.

Rajesh KC, Career Options
The main duty of counsellors is to make students aware of all aspects of life in Australia. Students can run into various problems if they are not aware of the fee structure, the education system, the prerequisites for admission and the job facilities, among others. If the students don’t arm themselves with proper information, they may harbour the false perception that they can come up with all their cost through a part-time job; it is our duty to disabuse them of such notions and to provide all the information we can about life there.

Umesh Pandey ,Motif Language and Abroad Studies
Education consultancies are not just focused on making a profit. The service they provide include being responsible for students on many levels. Many students who come to us for counselling are unaware about what they want to study and what courses would help them in the careers they want to take up. We provide suggestions based on their capabilities, areas of interest and their budget. And when they are in Australia, we keep in touch with them to find out how they are doing.

Tharendra Raj Adhikari, Nepal Education Consultancy
Global recognition and quality education are the main draws that attract thousands of students across the world for higher studies in Australia. The practical and research-based education that Australian colleges and universities provide enables their products to land good jobs. Seven of the 100 best universities in the world are located in Australia and many Australian universities operate under the direct supervision of the government. Furthermore, Australia is one of the best places in the world to live: five cities in the country rank among the 35 best cities in the world.

Manoj Parajuli, Education First
There are many provisions that help international students support themselves while they are in Australia. The part-time job facility is one of them. Students have permission to work for 40 hours fortnightly and full- time during their vacation. However, students must understand that such work is enough only to cover their living costs. One should never have the false perception that money made from part-time jobs can cover all their costs. Therefore, before students head abroad, they should thoroughly explore their financial options with their parents and determine whether they can afford the costs.

source/photo courtesy: The Kathmandu post,21 Jan 2014
photo:The representatives from 13 different education consultancies in a round table organised by The Kantipur Publication.