5STAR Student Services

'Make studying in Australia your pathway to a bright future'

1, Which Country?

What better place for an overseas student to live than Australia?  It offers:

•  Lifestyle - Australia is known internationally for it's sun and surf, where the people are friendly and it's unique flora and fauna e.g. kangaroos, koalas and other marsupials.

• Multiculturalism - Australia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world, accepting of all nationalities and religions. Each state celebrates diversity through festivals e.g. Buddha’s Birthday in Queensland. We also celebrate diversity through the food we eat. Australian cities offer a broad range of international cuisine - Vietnamese, Italian, Chinese, Indian and many more restaurants.
• World Class educational Institutions and Facilities – Australia is home to quality education. Our education standards, research and facilities are recognised internationally. Our universities are ranked among the world’s best and are engaged in international collaborations from industry and research institutes worldwide.
• Well Being - Australia is ranked by Nations Online with Norway and the Netherlands as one of the top three countries in the world on the Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI represents a broader definition of well-being and provides a composite measure of three basic dimensions of human development: health, education and income.
• Education - Australia’s higher education system takes into consideration your prior studies. The Education Department acknowledges all forms of prior learning.  This means international students can be granted credit transfer or acceptance of their entire degree. • Australia's seamless education and training framework means that students can access a range of education options and move easily between levels of study and institutions.

2. Which City?

Brisbane is Queensland’s capital city. It has a reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities. Why choose Brisbane?

• Sophisticated but not overcrowded - Brisbane has a population of 2.2 million, making it the third-largest city in Australia. It also has the largest population growth rate of any capital city in Australia. Seventy-five thousand International Students enroll in Brisbane Educational Providers each year. Many of these students stay on to embrace local employment opportunities. It is the closest Australian capital city on the eastern seaboard to Asia.
• Multicultural Community – More than a quarter of the population were born overseas.  Mandarin is the second most common language spoken at home after English. Students can access a wealth of post-graduate career opportunities. Many Brisbane companies offer internship and graduate programs which embrace cross-cultural skills.

• International Events' Host - It has been chosen by World Leaders to host international events such as The Commonwealth Games, Expo '88 and the G20 World Leaders' Summit.
• Entertainment - Brisbane has the infrastructure and facilities to support a wide range of cultural activities including world-class exhibitions, fine dining, world-class shopping precincts, major sporting events and an emerging live music scene.
• Great Weather - Escape the cold! Brisbane’s moderate climate with plenty of sunshine and low rainfall will ensure that you are comfortable being outdoors all year long (Summer temperatures typically range from 21 to 31 Celsius and Winter - 9 to 19 Celsius).
• Beautiful environment –. Easy access to world-renowned beaches, national parks and heritage-listed rainforests and scenic mountains. The stunning beaches of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts and the islands of Moreton Bay are all close by - within 1 to 2 hours travel from Brisbane. It is also just a short flight from the state’s natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef. 

3. Livability

Australian graduate surveys indicate that students typically want cheap accommodation, low living costs, a temperate climate, efficient public transport, a diverse culture, clean environment and plenty of entertainment options. Although these survey results are subjective, they do provide useful information. The Australian Property Council runs annual surveys that rate quality of living in terms of these key areas. The results of these surveys are summarised in the table opposite.

4. Which Course?

Education institutions in Australia are given the freedom to design the curriculum for the courses they offer! However, they are then required to submit their courses to government agencies for approval to ensure that their courses will meet stringent quality requirements and standards and fit within the overall Australian Qualification Framework. This is essential to ensure that Australian qualifications are transferable and recognised across Australia and throughout the world. The mobility of the world’s population means that student exchange programs and internationalisation of education qualifications have become mandatory.

Australia has an online database system called the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). This is the official Australian Government website that lists all Australian education providers that can offer courses to overseas students studying in Australia on student visas and the courses offered. CRICOS is designed to help and protect the interests of overseas students and provide the necessary information for them to make an informed choice.