Aus Uni or RSA university?

[JJV]

Dear friends, I trust that some of you can help with advice on this one. My son writes matric this year (in RSA) and we're about to do our LSD trip (and PR visa validation trip) during the course of this year.

I suppose an Aus degree would be a better option for him in terms of job opportunities in Aus. Searching for info on Australian support on Higher education (HECS?) seems to be a bit daunting to say the least. I get the impression that HECS support is only for Aus citizens (and not for people with permanent residence).

By the way, my son considers not going directly onto Uni but to take 2007 "off" before he enrolls in 2008.

For those of you that have been through the same process would you kindly share your experience on this issue?

Edited April 1, 2006 by JJV

[Pippa]

Dear JJV,

I don't have any experience on this issue, but if I were you, I will definitely enrol him in a Oz University!

Good luck

Pippa

[Bob]

Johan!

O.K. . . . . . the low-down on Australian universities is that you first have to determine whether your young bloke can get in on the strength of a South African Matric pass. In the past, this was sufficient, but I'm not sure nowadays.

My son, now 23, and youngest daughter, 17, have both passed their matrics.

Bobby, my son went on to do a Science degree whilst my youngest daughter has deferred going to Uni this year.

Kids in Australia, if their parents are Australian citizens or permanent residents, can get into university, but only Australian citizens can get the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (H.E.C.S.) for their studies whilst at University, from my understanding, so you'd better check on that.

Before the mid-1980's university courses at Australian uni's were free. You could do any number of Uni courses, get half a dozen degrees and walk away without owing a penny.

Since then, the Australian gov't has made students at Universities start to partly conribute towards the cost of their courses. Australian students and permanent residents get courses subsidised by the Australian gov't.

Foreign students coming to study at an Australian university have to pay full fees. For a Bachelor of Science degree, this can work out to $16,000 a year, whilst Australian and permanent resident students only pay $6,000 a year, owing to the subsidy of the gov't.

Australian citizens also have the option of H.E.C.S. which allows them putting off the payment of the university course until later in their lives when they are, hopefully, earning more money and pay extra income tax until the course fees are all paid off. You simply build up the amount of the course fee each year with the Australian gov't, and the Australian Tax Office (A.T.O.) applies a cost of living increase to the total amount each year, basically keeping your course fee debt up with inflation over the years until it's paid off.

Parent's gross income is taken into account in granting a young kid, having just passed Matric, a scholarship to help with the cost of daily studying whilst at Uni. The Gross family income, of both parents, must not be over $30,000 a year, or the kids won't be entitled to "Aus-study" and are deemed, by the Australian gov't, to be supported by their parents whilst studying at University.

There is also an "independent" status scholarship that Australian and permanent resident students can avail themselves of to help them with the cost of life while at Uni.

For a young school kid, just having passed Matric, you have to prove to the Australian gov't that you are "independent" of your parents. You do this by earning a set figure (about $19,000) over an 18-month period.

The kid then gets "Aust-study" in his / her own right regardless of the parents' income/s. The amount of Austudy varies, but a child living away from home to study gets about $360 a fortnight, tax-free (ALL gov't payments are fortnightly!), which works out to about $9,000 a year, tax-free.

My youngest daughter has deferred study this year to work and earn $19,000 or more, in order to qualify for independent status and be granted Austudy in her own right, regardless of us earning $90,000 a year. Her course in Occupational Therapy in the University of Sydney will be held over until next year when she will start her course for four years.

Australian universities will almost certainly grant a 12 month deferrment to Year 12 school leavers, having just passed their Matric, so they can work for a year and earn enough income to qualify for Austudy during the three or four years of their study in their degrees at University in Australia.

You need to do your homework to see how much of this applies to your son, and whether it's feasible for him to work next year and become "independent" and be granted Austudy later on whilst studying at Uni over the three or four years.

[NZHigh]

I won't (can't) add anything to what Bob wrote but I wish to share this:

I recently spoke to an Academic from one of the Australian Unis, and as the conversation went qualifications were mentioned. When I said that mine were mostly from South Africa even though gained form one of the 'better' Unis there was a very distinct change in the tone of voice (negative reaction – ek trek my neus op vir jou studeerplek type of thing). However when I mentioned that this was some 18 odd years ago the reaction turned to very positive again. Put two and two together to figure what at least one Australian lecturer thinks of the current SA degrees.

PS. I do not wish to provoke any reaction on SA qualifications as this was NOT my opinion and many Aus and NZ Unis accept SA quals.

[sonnetjie]

JJV

I completed my first degree more than 10 years ago in Australia transferring my Uni studies from SA to OZ. Currently doing my Masters in Change Management and working at the same time wow it is pretty challenging. Hubbie is pretty much in the same boat he is due to complete his MBA by September 06. He is planning on doing a bit more study so we will see. He did his first degree in SA. When you a permanent resident and you doing a masters course you can get access to FEE Pay. The government will pay for your tuition fees upfront and then they take it off your tax the moment your salary reaches a certain bracket. My brother completed his degree in 1999 at Sydney Uni and really enjoyed the uni. He did transferred from one of the schools in JHB to complete his last two years of high school in Australia.

A short run down on the uni’s in Sydney and my personal opinion on them.

Sydney Uni: http://www.usyd.edu.au/ One of the oldest uni’s in Sydney great history mostly a city uni many of the private school kids prefer this uni. Large % of the students are day students, they also a large international group of students that attend.

University of Technology UTC http://www.uts.edu.au/ a number of my friends have done their degrees through this uni. You tend to do a lot of practical work for example you would study for a year do a year practical in a firm study the following year again and then to a practical year. From what I have heard they do a great engineering degree etc ,but they don’t have much of a social life.

Macquarie University: http://www.mq.edu.au/ this uni is Ryde about 20 minutes drive from the North Shore also mostly has day students. Younger campus , but fantastic facilities. There is lots of cement makes you think of the RAU campus in SA but the grounds and the gardens are more beautiful. Their library is an absolute delight. The Macquarie graduate school of management http://www.mgsm.edu.au/pg2006/ is also connected via the uni and hubbie is doing his MBA here been extremely happy with the campus. Hubbie has also done some study via Macquarie Uni before starting his MBA and has always recommended the campus. He has very fond memories of the Uni.

University of Western Sydney http://www.uws.edu.au/ Have some friends that have studied through this uni they have been very happy with it. Don’t know too much about it.

Charles Sturt Uni http://www.csu.edu.au/ They have a number of campuses one in Wagga and one in Bathurst can’t remember where the 3rd is. Did my first-degree full time and was on the Bathurst campus it is about 3 half hours drive on the highway from Sydney. The campus is smaller and less intimidating as the Sydney Campuses. They have a number of correspondence courses. I really enjoyed my time there. Currently doing my master via correspondence.

There is lady by the name of Dee Agnew she is a career guidance counselor and is very popular in advising people regarding the uni ‘s they should attend and the possibly career options. I know a number of people who have made use of her services and have been very happy with her recommendations. She works for one of the private schools. She does consult outside of her working hours. Her number has been passed on at many social gathering I have attended. I have her husbands work number 9416 9575 in Sydney. I would ring her and make an appointment to meet her. Sorry I can’t be of any more help. From what I have heard if a person has done their matric in SA they often need to do a bridging year before they can attend a Uni in OZ. I’m sure Dee will be able to clarify this for you. Dee is also Ex-South Africans think she and her hub have been in oz for 30 years or longer.

If your son has the option to study at an Australian Uni I would not even think about studying at an SA Uni. Current SA uni degrees are not so highly regarded anymore. Better networking opportunity for him to study at an Australian Uni. I studied my first degree as a foreign student and my poor father paid through his nose. Fortunately with my masters it is different story as I'm a Australian Citizen .

Please excuse the grammer I don't have time to check it over I better run I have assignment that is calling for my attention.

Edited April 3, 2006 by sonnetjie

[Guest Seoul Sister]

Hi there,

My father is a professor at one of the major Universities in South Africa and so I asked for his opinion on this matter - RSA vs Aus Varsity, for someone who has the choice. His opinion is - if you have the financial means to make it, go with an Australian University. South African Universities are having more and more trouble getting recognition worldwide and the standard is seriously (and rapidly) slipping.

Love

Seoul sister

[pupmeister]

There are two ways at looking at comparing SA and Aust university.

Firstly perceived, South African universities are in darkest Africa and since a lot of people are surprised to hear that there are no lions roaming downtown Johburg, they are even more surprised to hear that one can do a real degree in South Africa

Secondly Actual, To answer this I am going to quote an example of a friend of mine that left SA after completing two years and failing his third year in Engineering. When he got to Australia he applied to many universities and requested that his first two years of study be accredited towards the completion of his degree. Most universities turned him down straight away, however one varsity asked that he submit past reports, projects and course curriculum’s to assess where he fitted in, according to their requirements. After receiving his reports the university made comments along the lines that what was required by the SA varsity was more that what was required by the Australian varsity and gave him full credit for the first two years. After starting the course he moved from being a failing student in SA to one of the top students in his course (I admit that he also put in a lot more effort to achieve this than he did in SA)

Unfortunately when it comes to getting a job it is the perception that counts.

Just as an added note, all engineering degrees gained currently in South Africa are accredited by Engineering Australia through the Washington Accord.

[JJV]

Dear Pippa, Bob, NZHigh, sonnetjie, Seoul Sister & pupmeister

Thank you very much for your inputs and responses. I appreciate it very much. It surely contributes to making better informed decisions.

Regards