For an English course, usually not. For a vocational course or a degree, yes — or an accepted equivalent such as PTE. The required score depends on the school and the level, and we will tell you the exact number before you pay anything.

Can I change course once I am in Australia?

Yes, and students do it all the time — but the timing matters for the visa. Talk to us before you withdraw from anything, not after.

Is the qualification recognised at home?

An Australian VET qualification is recognised across Australia. Recognition in your own country depends on your country's rules, and for regulated professions the answer is usually no without extra steps. We would rather tell you that now than after you have paid for two years.

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STUDY

Study in Australia

English, a vocational course or a degree — and what each of them actually costs.

Three ways in

Almost everyone arrives on one of three routes. They cost very different amounts and they lead to very different places, so it is worth ten minutes to get this right.

	What it is	Typical price	Who it suits
ELICOS	Full-time English, 20-25 contact hours a week, start dates most Mondays	AUD 250-350 / week	Anyone whose English is not yet enough for a vocational course
VET / TAFE	A vocational qualification: cookery, hospitality, business, childcare, trades	AUD 4,000-22,000 / year	The most common route — cheaper, practical, and it keeps the visa going
University	Bachelor's or Master's at an Australian university	AUD 20,000-50,000 / year	Anyone with a recognised qualification and the budget for it

Ranges published by ABS. We price your actual school and start date — the difference between two schools on the same street can be AUD 3,000 a year.

Most of our students do ELICOS first and then a vocational course. The English course is not a formality: the vocational school will test you, and if your English is short you lose the term, not the school.

Where you will live

You do not sign a twelve-month lease from the other side of the world. We put you somewhere for the first few weeks, you see the city, and then you choose properly.

	Cairns	What it means
A room in a share house	AUD 250-300 / week	The normal option. Your own room, shared kitchen and bathroom.
Homestay with a family	AUD 360-420 / week	Includes most meals. Easiest landing, best for your English.
Your own studio	AUD 480-560 / week	Privacy, and roughly double the rent.

Cairns prices as published by ABS, September 2026. Sydney and Melbourne run 30-60% higher — the calculator on the home page does that maths for you.

What a week actually costs

Rent is the big number, but it is not the only one. Food runs about AUD 100 a week if you cook, transport AUD 30 a month in Cairns, a phone plan AUD 20-30, and everything else — going out, trips, a haircut, the dentist — around AUD 100-150 a month.

Work out your own number

Course, length, city, housing, hours. The same calculator as on the home page, including the visa's financial test.

Tuition, rent, food and the other costs come from the ranges ABS publishes on the Study in Australia page (we use the middle of each range). The minimum wage of AUD 26.44/hour applies from 1 July 2026 (Study Australia). The visa charge of AUD 2,050 (English course) / AUD 2,500 (everything else) applies from 1 July 2026. Rents outside Cairns are an estimate. This is an estimate, not an offer — we will price your actual school and start date for you.

Talk it through with us. It costs nothing.

Write or call. We will go through the course, the dates, the budget and the visa with you — and tell you straight if it does not add up in your case.

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