Fees and Charges

International Student's Tuition, Fees and Charges

International students pay international student tuition fees which are different to domestic student tuition fees. All international student course fees are listed on the individual course page.

Fees are subject to annual review and may increase consistent with any CPI adjustment.

International applicants who have not been issued a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) prior to new tuition fees being published are required to pay the new tuition fee rates.

Enrolled international students will be charged the applicable international tuition fee at the time of invoicing for each study period, and are required to pay the adjusted amount, including any increase in fees, throughout the duration of their studies at TAFE SA. Where practicable, international students will be notified of any fee increases through the international student newsletter and the course page. 

The International Unit may request a non-refundable deposit for any TAFE SA course contained within a package of courses. Details will be included in the fees and charges schedule.

Payment of fees

New international students are required to pay their first semester of fees as specified in their Letter of Offer prior to issuance of their Confirmation of Enrolment (COE).  

Continuing international students will be invoiced for their fees and are required to pay as per the invoice terms.

International students who fast track their studies must pay the full tuition fee for their course as outlined in the Letter of Offer, and any adjusted amounts due to fee increases.

Non-payment of Tuition and Other Fees

To comply with the student visa conditions, international students need to demonstrate sufficient financial capacity to support their study and stay in Australia.  International students under financial hardship are required to contact the International Unit to discuss their individual situation.

International students who do not contact the International Unit and fail to pay within the invoice terms and by the due date:

• may be charged a late payment administration fee as per the fees and charges schedule
• will be at risk of having their enrolment and registration cancelled for future semesters and having their COE cancelled by the International Unit.

International students with unpaid fees shall not be able to:

• re-enrol in any additional semesters unless alternative arrangements have been made (that is, payment extensions).
• receive a parchment from TAFE SA.

Failed and/or repeat units/subjects

International students shall be charged for units or subjects that they repeat or re-enrol in for any reason.

Payment plans and extensions

International students who suffer financial hardship due to a change in their financial circumstance may apply for an extension to their tuition fee due date or to pay their tuition fee by an instalment plan. These requests are managed as per the Standard Payment Plan (SPP) option in accordance with the Accounts Receivable and Debtor Management Policy.

International students are encouraged to contact the International Student Support Consultant prior to submitting any SSP or extension paperwork. 

Students seeking an SSP must meet the eligibility and assessment criteria as outlined below: 

• must have completed at least one semester of study (which has been paid prior to arrival)
• must be able to demonstrate exceptional financial difficultly beyond their control and that have potentially changed since their visa approval
• must lodge application before the due date of their current invoice.
• be currently financial with TAFE SA
• have no previous record of late payments of fees
• be complying with visa conditions
• be complying with student related policies and procedures
• the financial circumstance leading to the request must be temporary and not ongoing and/or extending past the current semester.

Recognition of Prior Learning

International students undertaking Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are eligible to apply for RPL as per the TAFE SA Assessment Policy.  It is preferred that students apply for RPL at the time of their initial application, but students may also do this after commencement of their course, preferably within the first two weeks. The application and assessment fee for RPL for international students is outlined in the fees and charges schedule. A positive RPL assessment outcome may result in a decrease in the tuition fee.

International students undertaking Higher Education (HE) courses are eligible to apply for course credit via their lecturer during course counselling. There is no fee to apply for this process. Any positive course credit assessment may result in a decrease in the tuition fee.

If course credit or RPL is awarded to an international student who has already paid their semester’s tuition fee, the student will be given the choice to apply to the International Unit for a refund of the tuition fee for the relevant units/subjects or to allocate those funds to the fees for their next semester.

Additional/incidental fees

Additional/Incidental fees are additional to tuition fees and may include:

• cost to purchase a good or service that is not essential for the international student to complete the course of study
• cost for a good or service that is essential to complete the course but may also be available at no additional cost (for example available in the library)
• cost for a good or service that becomes the physical property of the international student
• food, transport and accommodation costs (associated with, for example, field trips).

All additional/ incidental fees are either charged to the international student account (for example name badges, excursion costs) or payable directly by the student to the service provider/store (for example uniforms, knives or other equipment). 

Administration fees and charges

The International Unit charges administration fees for some services provided to international students pertaining to their enrolment. The fees and charges schedule is reviewed annually and/or as required. 

Administration charges include, but are not restricted to:

• change of course administration fee
• COE reinstatement fee
• payment plans and extension to payment administration fee
• RPL administration fee
• refund administration fee
• vocational placement administration fee
• entry testing fees

The fees and charges schedule does not include administration fees associated to refund requests, see the International student tuition refund table.

Fees and charges schedule as of 1 July 2021

International Students Changing Their Visa Type

Students changing their visa type during a study period will not be entitled to any refund as per the International Student Tuition Fee Refund Table.

Overseas Student Health Cover

All international students must pre-purchase Overseas Student Health Cover as a requirement for their student visa.