News
Australia university study costs poised to go higher
View(s):By Kapila Bandara
Sri Lankan students seeking admission to leading universities in Australia next year will face a sharp rise in
tuition costs.
The Australian reported that an international student will have to pay upwards of A$60,400 (Rs 11.83 million) for a degree in engineering. This is three times more than the minimum fee set by the national Education Department for 2026. A Bachelor of Commerce would cost A$189,947 (Rs 37.2m).
Also, the Australian Financial Review had reported earlier that University of Melbourne raised annual fees of its two-year master’s of commerce from A$52,448 in 2024 to A$56,992 in 2025.
University of Queensland, had raised fees by 11% for the same programme, from A$48,160 to A$53,760, the AFR reported. University of NSW revised fees by 5.55% from A$56,160 to A$59,280.
Visa applications from Sri Lanka have dropped by 30%, government data show.
Earlier this month, Australia also announced 295,000 places for international students, taking into Australia’s strategic priorities in its neighbourhood. This is 25,000 more than in 2025, but 8% less than the peak after the coronavirus disease devastation, data show.
The increase was made public by the Minister for Education, Home Affairs, Immigration and Citizenship, and Skills and Training, and assistant minister for International Education. This came with conditions that allow public universities to increase intake provided they align with Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, and “safe and secure’’
student housing.
There are more than 18,000 Sri Lankan students in Australia, latest state data show, and hundreds try to secure places every year. The number, however, must be seen in the context that students continue from year to year.
Some universities have their representatives in Sri Lanka. These include Edith Cowan University, Curtin University, and the William Angliss Institute.
Most Sri Lankan students — more than 12,000 — are in Victoria.
There are more than 794,000 international students in Australia, government figures show. About 206,000 visas were issued in the past financial year, Department of Home Affairs data show, lower than the 261,000 in 2022-2023.
In 2024, Sri Lanka was one of the countries with the most scholarships offered by Australia. India, Indonesia, and Vietnam were the others. This year, Sri Lanka was pushed below the top four into sixth position.
In Sri Lanka, the Aussie is one of the more expensive currencies, changing hands above Rs 199 at commercial and state banks.
The government of Anthony Albanese has already sharply increased visa fees to deter abuse of visas.
A study by a market intelligence organisation reveals that average international tuition fees at universities with informal admissions limits have risen by 5.5% over the past year.
International education is an A$50 billion (Rs 9.8 trillion) export, which also supports over 250,000 Australian jobs, Australian government estimates show.
Australia has tightened the entry of international students over the past two years. The Australian government proposed and withdrew legislation to limit foreign enrolments, but some universities have been told to limit international enrolment.
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