Studying Law in Australia

Accommodation
Choosing
The single biggest living expense is accommodation. You should think about accommodation options, and the cost of each option, before you arrive. All universities have International Offices, which can provide you with detailed information about accommodation options available to students.

When thinking about where you want to live, consider –
- Do you want to live at the university?
- Do you want to live near the university?
- Do you need to have somewhere quiet to study?
- Do you want to live in a house or apartment with other students from your country?
- Do you want to live in a house or apartment with Australian students?
- Do you want to live with a family, either Australian or from your country?

And there may be other things to consider.

So the choices are –
- Living in college or other student accommodation at the university
- Living in an apartment or house with other students
- Living with a family
- Living by yourself in an apartment or house.

Finding accommodation
If you need help finding accommodation your university will assist you, either through its International Student Office and/or through the Student Accommodation Service.

The cost
When thinking about the cost of accommodation, consider –
- Housing closer to the university, especially where the university is in a major city, will be more expensive than housing further away.
- But the further away you live, the more will be the cost of transport to and from the university.
- Many universities have colleges or student hostels but, unlike some other countries, college accommodation is generally more expensive.
- If you live with a family some or all of the meals may be provided.

Furniture
Apartments and houses that can be rented in Australia are rarely furnished. This means that, if renting, you may have to buy or hire a refrigerator and all furniture. Stoves, however, are included with the apartment or house. You will find that student housing services have listings of second hand furniture shops, so it is quite an easy task to organise cheap furniture.

Other living expenses
Food
Australian food is fresh, excellent quality and cheap by world standards. All large Australian cities have fresh food open-air markets where food is fresh and cheap, as well as supermarkets.





		Introduction			In this chapter –
		Welcome messages Australia as your study destination Coming to Australia Living in Australia Prerequisites for studying law in Australia Legal education in Australia Choosing the law school that is best for you A guide to Australia’s law schools A guide to Australia’s postgraduate law programs A guide to Australia’s practical legal training programs Practising law in Australia Acknowledgements			Accommodation Other living expenses Health and medical costs Transport Your budget Working while you are studying Looking after yourself Education for children The weather
					Accommodation Choosing The single biggest living expense is accommodation. You should think about accommodation options, and the cost of each option, before you arrive. All universities have International Offices, which can provide you with detailed information about accommodation options available to students. When thinking about where you want to live, consider – - Do you want to live at the university? - Do you want to live near the university? - Do you need to have somewhere quiet to study? - Do you want to live in a house or apartment with other students from your country? - Do you want to live in a house or apartment with Australian students? - Do you want to live with a family, either Australian or from your country? And there may be other things to consider. So the choices are – - Living in college or other student accommodation at the university - Living in an apartment or house with other students - Living with a family - Living by yourself in an apartment or house. Finding accommodation If you need help finding accommodation your university will assist you, either through its International Student Office and/or through the Student Accommodation Service. The cost When thinking about the cost of accommodation, consider – - Housing closer to the university, especially where the university is in a major city, will be more expensive than housing further away. - But the further away you live, the more will be the cost of transport to and from the university. - Many universities have colleges or student hostels but, unlike some other countries, college accommodation is generally more expensive. - If you live with a family some or all of the meals may be provided. Furniture Apartments and houses that can be rented in Australia are rarely furnished. This means that, if renting, you may have to buy or hire a refrigerator and all furniture. Stoves, however, are included with the apartment or house. You will find that student housing services have listings of second hand furniture shops, so it is quite an easy task to organise cheap furniture. Other living expenses Food Australian food is fresh, excellent quality and cheap by world standards. All large Australian cities have fresh food open-air markets where food is fresh and cheap, as well as supermarkets.


					Clothing If you go to one of the southern states, you will need warm clothing. Electrical equipment It is up to you what you need. You may want to have a laptop computer, some sound equipment or a TV. You can buy these in Australia at reasonable prices, although perhaps more than your own country. Note that the voltage in Australia is 240 volts AC. The power plug used in Australia is different to that used in Asian countries. Health and medical costs Private health insurance, Overseas Student Health Cover, is compulsory for all students and must be renewed annually. Your insurance covers you for any hospitalisation in a public hospital. When you have your student visa you will have access to Australia’s subsidised student health cover. Most universities have a student health service which provides a general practitioner service and costs will be covered by your health insurance, but costs may be incurred if you need to be referred for further investigations or consultations which are not carried out in a public hospital. The standard of public hospitals in Australia is very high. Transport Overseas students are not entitled to transport concessions in some States of Australia. The provision of public transport is usually determined by the State or Territory Government providing the service. Public transport in Australia is considered to be expensive. To save on transport, many students choose to live within walking or cycling distance of their law schools. The Railways Group of Australia have stated that fee paying international students are not eligible for travel concessions and must pay full fares on all rail transport unless they are on a formal University exchange program. You may prefer to buy your own car as they are relatively cheap. However, bear in mind that there are other costs such as insurance, registration, replacement of tyres, repairs, etc. You will need an Australian driver’s licence and you should enquire about your eligibility for and means of obtaining a licence. Your budget The actual total cost of living in Australia will depend on which city you live in. The cost of living varies. Some universities will assist you with calculating the cost of living in their city. Check the website of the university of your choice, or ask the International Office at the university for more information. For an example, see the University of Melbourne’s site at: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/finaid/planning/cost_of_living/index.html However, as a first check, here is a list of items on which you will probably need to spend money – If you are staying in college or student accommodation at the university - University amenities & services fee - Overseas Student Health Cover - College or hostel accommodation fees - Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. - Lunch, drinks, etc. - Telephone (mobile) - Travel (other than to university) - Spending money If you are staying in homestay with a family - University amenities & services fee - Overseas Student Health Cover - Rent or board paid to the family - Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. - Lunch, drinks, etc. - Telephone (mobile) - Travel (to university and other) - Spending money If you are living in a flat or house - University amenities & services fee - Overseas Student Health Cover - Bond (deposit paid to landlord) - Telephone connection - General establishment costs - Rent - Household contribution (for food etc.) - Bills – gas, electricity, phone - Books, stationery, photocopying, etc. - Lunch, drinks, etc. - Telephone (mobile) - Travel (to university and other) - Spending money If you have a laptop computer there may be costs for repair, service or connection fees. If you have a car, there will be the costs of running the car. Remember when working out the cost of your living in Australia that you should calculate costs for 52 weeks a year, not the period of the academic year only. Working while you are studying You will not be automatically granted permission to work in Australia when you apply for the student visa, which has been the case in the past. Students and their dependents will only be able to apply for a visa with permission to work after they arrive in Australia and the student has begun his or her course of study. You have to produce evidence that study has commenced and pay a fee. If you have a student visa with permission to work, you may work up to 20 hours per week on a casual basis while your course is in session; you may work full-time during University holiday periods. Work rights for dependents vary – there are no restrictions for dependants of doctorate and masters students but the limit is 20 hours per week for others. Work rights are intended only to supplement a student’s income rather than be the sole source of funds. Looking after yourself Most people in Australia do their own shopping, cooking, washing, ironing and cleaning. So if you choose to share a flat with friends you will need to be prepared to share domestic chores. Education for children State and Territory governments are responsible for determining the level of school fees charged for children of overseas students, and the conditions for granting exemptions. Generally speaking the State and Territory departments of education exempt AusAID and Australian Government scholarship holders' school aged dependents from the payment of government school fees. States/Territories may exempt dependents of international students from the payment of school fees on the basis of their assessment of economic and other benefits to their State/Territory. Some States exempt the school aged dependents of postgraduate (Student Visa 574) and masters by course work (Student Visa 573) students from government school fees. However, if the dependent requires English as a Second Language (ESL) then the parent may be required to pay the cost of this tuition. Enquiries about government school fees for the dependents of overseas students should be directed to the relevant State Department of Education. In all cases, the exemption from government school fees only applies for the period of the overseas student's (the parent - primary visa holder) scholarship for which the exemption was granted. The weather Queensland has a tropical climate whereas in Victoria and Tasmania it is temperate. By South East Asian standards, winters in Canberra, Melbourne and Hobart can be very cold. For the latest Australian weather information, go to http://www.bom.gov.au
					back to top copyright and disclaimer \| web design sydney by hmd