457 - COST OF SCHOOLING

[Mara]

I have seen this question asked so many times, so I did a bit of research and this is what I found. This information pertains to the 12 years of schooling, NOT for preschool or nursery school or daycare!

No extra fees are charged in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

International student fees are charged in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory.

Schooling Fees for Temporary Residents

As some readers would be aware education for school aged children is administered by the State Governments. Accordingly, there are different rules throughout the country depending on where you are residing.

New South Wales

The New South Wales authority has determined that 457 visa holders (and other temporary residents) are not eligible for subsidised education in Government schools. Provisional Business Skills visa holders and Skilled Independent Regional visa holders are eligible for subsidised education in Government schools.

Schooling fees currently levied in New South Wales on 457 visa holders (and other temporary residents) are Years 11 - 12 Senior High School A$5,500, Years 7 - 10 Junior High School A$4,500 and Years K - 6 Primary School A$4,500.

It is possible to see an exemption of the education fee. An exemption application is assessed by the NSW Department of Education and Training's Temporary Visa Holder's Unit Fee Exemption Panel. An exemption may be granted on proving financial hardship because of the schooling fee levy. We are able to assist in an exemption application on request.

It is evident if you are a 457 visa holder in New South Wales with a number of school aged children the schooling fees for the year may be onerous. If this is the case it may be worth considering applying for permanent residence (if eligible) as soon as possible to reduce education costs.

Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

457 visa holders and most other temporary visa holders are liable for overseas student charges when attending school in Canberra. Current fees are Years 11 - 12 Senior High School A$13,500, Years 7 - 10 Junior High School A$12,000 and Years K - 6 Primary School A$9,500.00.

The ACT Department of Education and Training expects that a sponsor will meet all education costs.

The cost associated with having school aged dependents on 457 visas attending school in Canberra is very high. Again we would encourage visa holders to consider applying for permanent residence (if eligible).

Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania & North Territory

457 visa holders are eligible for subsidised education when enrolling at Government schools in these states/territory.

You can read it all here

http://www.stirlinghenry.com.au/content/ne...=News&NewsID=97

Hope this info helps!

[Mandy B]

Dear Mara

I looked for some info on a 457 visa as we going to Sydney.

My son is in grade 0 now and will be going to Grade 1 (7years old)

We have him in a private school and pays in rands R1400 per month.

I believe that the p/school are very expensive in Sydney overall.

We can choose between Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne or Brisbane and I am doing some research but find nothing as yet

can you help me.

Thank you

MandyB

[Mara]

Hi MandyB

Well if you do not want the cost of schooling to be so high, the answer is easy, choose between any one of your other choices, except for Sydney.

I see you come from the West Rand, then obviously you have not been used to an area with extremely high humidity in summer. If you do not like humidity then I suggest you stay away from the Gold Coast or Brisbane. Having said that, if you and hubby work and live in air conditioned comfort, then the humidity should not concern you, it will only hit you full blast if you venture outside or have to work in a workshop.

Melbourne of course is another story altogether, we have four seasons in one day, as most people will tell you. We have cold winters (central heating in the majority of homes) and dry hot summers (air conditioning or evaporative cooling in a lot of homes).

I have lived in both Brisbane and Melbourne, and for me their is no choice, Melbourne will win every time. However, it is really a personal choice of what you as an individual would prefer.

[B'Burger]

Hi Mara

I have been told that the education levy is applicable irreespective of whether the children attend the Catholic School system or the other private schools. When I read the relevant websites they always refer to Government schools specifically. Can you shed any light on the matter? We are really keen on Sydney and are expecting a job offer from there. If possible we would like our kids to attend a Catholic school as they do here.

Regards

B'burger

[sa2auz]

Hi there

My son is in a Catholic School in Sydney we pay about $2700 per year for him. We are on a 457 visa and there is no difference with the fees at a Catholic School everyone pays the same. If we were at a public government school we would have to pay $4500 on enrolment per child.

My youngest son will start at the Catholic School next year and we will pay about $4500 for the 2 of them in total.

Good Luck

S

[Bob]

Educating your kids privately in New South Wales and A.C.T. would be a smart way to get education funding from the government.

The New South Wales and A.C.T. territorial authority have both deemed temp residents ineligible for any education subsidy to keep the cost of school education affordable.

consequently, they slug the temp visa holder thousands of $$$ in school fees.

O.K.

We all pay income tax, if we work.

Income tax, in Australia, can only be taxed by the Australian Commonwealth (Federal) gov't . . . . not by the States.

Out of the income received by the Commonwealth, it gives some to the States for their administration of their part of Australia. Included in this would be money for education, along with police, roads, etc.

The State governments only give education money to their own State schools . . . none to private schools.

The Commonwealth gov't, however, provides money to private schools throughout Australia to keep the cost of private education affordable.

By sending your kids to a private school in New South Wales, you won't be paying international fees for your kids to go to the local State school.

Instead, you only pay the private school fees, which in turn are subsidised by the Australian Commonwealth gov't to keep them "affordable".

That way, you do get some of your income tax back to help "educate" your kids because the Australian Commonwealth gov't is subsidising the private school your kids attend in New South Wales.

Edited November 5, 2007 by Bob

[wendy]

Our son is in a public school in WA. We paid $60.00 for the year.

One child $60.00 - $30 voluntary P & C contributions per family

$30 voluntary per child

Families are encouraged to pay these despite being voluntary as the funds are used by each of the classes for any required materials and equipment.

The department of education and training provides many of the materials such as reading books, work books, stationary, art materails, maths and science equipment. Parents are asked to provide the daily consumables.

[B'Burger]

Thanks SA2AUZ and others.

It seems clear then that the levy in NSW and ACT applies to govt schools only.

So much for immigration consultants!!

[Dedrei]

Does someone know how much it is subsidised in QLD, I thought it was $4500 right across the board for everyone.

[Tanch]

Hi there,

We hope to come in on the

Skilled-Independent Visa (Subclass 175) Permanent

Condition: You are permitted to live and work ANYWHERE in Australia. You and the family will have immediate (free) access to Medicare (Healthcare) and (free) primary and secondary schooling. Eligible: First Homeowners Grant ($10,000) and Family Tax Benefit.

The conditions is what our agent send us, is this all true or just to get us excited. What are the pro's and con's of this.

HELP please, i thing i am getting more and more confused!!

[Mara]

You can calm down, your agent is completely correct, you get all those things if you come in on PR which is what the 175 is.

[bitisbitis]

Hi, new here. Would that apply to a 176 also?? (The house sub. etc.)

[Mara]

Sorry biisbitis

I have no idea wha a 176 visa is, I think the easiest way is the fact that you have to distinguish whether it is a temporary visa or a permanent visa, if temporary, it would be the same as on a 457, if permanent, then the same as a 175.

That is what I think, but perhaps, somebody else has better info.

[Guest natalie3]

Hi there,

We hope to come in on the

Skilled-Independent Visa (Subclass 175) Permanent

Condition: You are permitted to live and work ANYWHERE in Australia. You and the family will have immediate (free) access to Medicare (Healthcare) and (free) primary and secondary schooling. Eligible: First Homeowners Grant ($10,000) and Family Tax Benefit.

The conditions is what our agent send us, is this all true or just to get us excited. What are the pro's and con's of this.

HELP please, i thing i am getting more and more confused!!

And dont be forgetting the "baby bonus"..last i heard it was $4000!

Love it!...they actually pay u to have babies!

[zorba]

Hi, new here. Would that apply to a 176 also?? (The house sub. etc.)

Hi,

Yup, all the benefits apply as the 176 is also a permanent visa.

The 176 visa is also for PR, but is obtained with State, Territory or Family sponsorship; with the 175 visa you are independent and absolutely free to do your own thing, the 176 has some restrictions.

Clear as mud now?!

zorba

[bouts]

Hi All

for the people in WA, My daugter is in Gr10 Duncraig High and I am attaching her schoolsfees for the year 2008. You will get a general Idea on what it is costing

My daughter in Gr5 ( Davalia Primary) , the school fees are $245 per year.

This excludes the field trips during the year etc. which is about $100 max.

Groete Jan

School_fees.pdf

[Mauritzvw]

Great info, thanks

Hi All

for the people in WA, My daugter is in Gr10 Duncraig High and I am attaching her schoolsfees for the year 2008. You will get a general Idea on what it is costing

My daughter in Gr5 ( Davalia Primary) , the school fees are $245 per year.

This excludes the field trips during the year etc. which is about $100 max.

Groete Jan

[Geland]

Hi,

We will be in Sydney from June on a 457 , my son is turning 5 . Can you please indicate where we should start with him? We will probably reside in Castle Hill/Cherrybrook area.

[andrea d]

Good day Mara,

Thank you for this info, I heard this from someone else as well, so it is good to have the facts confirmed. I have a question on the fees as well. Does anybody know whether the $4500 is payable upfront or can it be paid over intervals (monthly, quarterly, weekly).

I heard it is payable upfront, and we have two children - so I would really like to find out what the situation is urgently.

Thanks

Andrea

[Mara]

Hi Andrea

It is payable upfront I believe, however, I have heard of people that have petitioned the education board in NSW, they were earning a lowish salary, only the husband was working, and they had three children, the education board allowed them to pay the normal fees like everyone else, due to perceivied hardship.

[sa2auz]

Hi Andrea

You can apply to pay the $4500 in installments. I would however suggest that you apply for an exemption. I know a lot of people who have been exempt so its worth a go. You would be required to pay the $4500 upfront on enrolment if your request for exemption or payment in installments is declined.

Good Luck

S

[andrea d]

Hi Andrea

You can apply to pay the $4500 in installments. I would however suggest that you apply for an exemption. I know a lot of people who have been exempt so its worth a go. You would be required to pay the $4500 upfront on enrolment if your request for exemption or payment in installments is declined.

Good Luck

S

Thanks, I take it you apply for exemption at the school of choice and would this not prejudice your visa application as they might consider you not financially sound.

Thanks for your input.

Andrea

[JanCPT]

Hi All

We're looking at registering our girls at Ivanhoe in Melbourne, from 2009.

The fees that they have sent to us, seem to be comparable with university fees reported in other posts.

Would these be fees for international students, which can be expected to decrease when we become permanent residents?

Then I've seen mention of the Federal Gov. subsidy for private schools - does this get paid to you by the governent, once you've paid the school fees, or does it get paid to the school, which means that the fees that they charge, are after they have taken the subsidy into account.

I've got 3 girls at school, so it becomes quite a nasty number, if the subsidy has already been taken into account, or is not recovered by me.

Cheers

Jan

[CTFamily]

I was looking at an independent school in Sydney for my girls and find their 'international student' fees pretty damn hefty.

I've attached the fee structure as an example.

overseas_student_fees.pdf

[JanCPT]

Bloody Hell ... do they get a degree in rocket science when they finish grade 12?

What will the fee be if you have PR - any subsidies / reductions??

Cheers

Jan