How to Get Free Education for Your Children While Completing a Degree Overseas?

How to get free education for your kid to study in Australia? 

Thinking of studying overseas but not wanting to leave your children behind? You can actually consider studying in Australia where your children can attain a valid visa while you complete your University education here. If your children are under the aged of 18 and have yet to complete high school, they can usually get free education in the public schools in Australia!

There are several checklists to complete if you are considering this option as various cities in Australia have very different requirement (e.g. tuition fees, financial requirement, etc.) Below we will explain further on the important things to do while preparing for your journey to study in Australia with your family in one place. 

The first thing to remember is that each state (or city) offers very different benefits for children whom are accompanying their parents in Australia. For example ——

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

If parents are completing a research program (PhD or Masters Degree by Research), their children are eligible to get free education in government schools. This is applicable only for primary, junior and senior high school (Preschool through to Year 12) and the parents must be enrolled in an Australian University physically located in ACT/Canberra. To receive this benefit, the parents must show the following proof –

• Passport copy for the primary visa holder and dependent
• Notification (proof) of visa grant from the Australian immigration
• Copy of your confirmation of enrollment (COE) from your University
• Proof of your residential in Canberra (Tenancy agreement of your rented property or utility bills – gas, electric, water, etc.)

If you have a child under 18 years old and considering completing your PhD or Masters by Research, you can visit the ACT Government’s Education and Training website for more information.

New South Wales (Sydney)

Over at New South Wales (NSW), the state offers the Temporary Residents Program which provides discounted education to students from Kindergarten to Year 12. The amount of education fees you will need to pay is highly dependent on what program the parents is completing. For example, if you are completing a Bachelors degree, your children will need to pay around AUD$7000 per-annum to complete their high school program and if you are completing a self-funded PhD program, your children’s education will be free of charged. To find out more information on how much fees to pay, you can visit the NSW Department of Education and Training website.

Queensland (Brisbane)

Most students holding temporary resident visas (e.g. student visas) are required to pay fees to attend a Queensland state school. Tuition fees must be paid in advance and are calculated based on the number of weeks of the enrollment. Again, tuition fees for children can be exempted if the dependent/parent meets some of the following requirements –

• The primary student visa holder is a postgraduate research Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student. 
• The primary student visa holder is studying a Masters by Research Degree at a regional Queensland University located outside South East, Metropolitan and North Coast education regions, except where the primary student visa holder is receiving financial support from their home country government
• The primary student visa holder holds one of the following scholarships:
  • Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Development Awards
  • Australian Development Scholarship (ADS)
  • Australian Leadership Awards Scholarship (ALA)

For more information on fee exemptions, simply visit Queensland’s Department of Education website.

Above are just some of our personal recommendations to complete your studies while your children can receive good quality education, in some cases they can receive free education if you are completing a PhD or Masters program. To find out more education options you can connect with Excel Education to receive the latest information.