Future Students

Would you like to study in Sydney, Australia?

Australia is the fourth most popular destination for international students.
You can study in Australia and enjoy the modern education facilities of Polytechnic Institute Australia, located right in the heart of Sydney, which was named the top destination in the world for international students by the A.T. Kearney 2019 Global Cities Index and Emerging Cities Outlook.
If you do decide to join us at Polytechnic Institute Australia, you will find this information can help:

Accommodation

Students are encouraged to research accommodation needs before travelling to Sydney. These sites can be helpful:

• www.austay.com
• www.homestaynetwork.org
• www.flatmates.com.au
• www.tenants.org.au
• www.urbanest.com.au
• www.unilodge.com.au

ESOS Framework

The ESOS Framework establishes the requirements and standards for the quality assurance of education institutions offering courses to international students who are in Australia on a student visa. Information is available here:
ESOS Framework

Health Care & Insurance

As part of your visa requirements as a student you will be required to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC).
OSHC is insurance to assist international students meet the costs of medical and hospital care that they may need while in Australia. OSHC will also pay limited benefits for pharmaceuticals and ambulance services.
Overseas Student Health Cover is available from one of the following providers:

• Australian Health Management
• BUPA Australia
• Medibank Private
• Allianz Global Assistance (subcontracted by Lysaght Peoplecare)
• nib OSHC

Please check the Department of Health website for further information regarding the requirements for Overseas Student Health Cover.

Living Expenses

Sydney is an affluent city and things can be priced accordingly. The cost of living in the city as a single student varies according to the choices that you make but as a guide you could expect to need as little AUD $16,000 or as much as AUD $24,000 per year.

Student Visa Requirements

Students must have a student visa to study in Australia.
You must meet Australian Government requirements to get the visa.
Information about these requirements and student visas can be found from the Department of Home Affairs
As well as a Letter of Offer from Polytechnic Institute Australia, to get a visa you will need to provide proof of English language proficiency, financial and medical information.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection publishes a full list of mandatory and discretionary student visa requirements on their web site. Follow the Student Visa Conditions link for details.
Upon arriving in Australia you are required to advise Polytechnic Institute Australia of your residential address and telephone number and of any subsequent changes to your residential address. It is your responsibility and in your own interests to ensure that you always update your address details at Polytechnic Institute Australia to ensure you receive important information about your course, fees and possible breaches of your student visa. It is a condition of your visa that you notify us of any changes of
address within 7 days of the change taking place.
Additional information on student visa issues is available on the DIBP web site.
Students may initiate a request to defer commencement of studies or suspend their studies on the grounds of compassionate or compelling circumstances. Students wishing to defer the commencement of studies or suspend their studies must apply to do so in writing to Polytechnic Institute Australia using the student Deferral, Suspension and Cancellation Application Form. Full details and documentary evidence of the compassionate or compelling circumstances must be included with the application for it to be considered.
If approved, Polytechnic Institute Australia will report your deferral of commencement or suspension of studies to the Department of Education which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIBP office or phone the DIBP helpline 131 881.
Cancellation of enrolment will trigger the refund arrangements in the Written Agreement between Polytechnic Institute Australia and the student. Students who cancel their enrolment and think they are due for a refund must also apply for a refund. The refund application form, available from the Institute, may be used as the written application. Refunds will be made within 28 days of receipt of a written application and will include a statement explaining how the refund was calculated.
Polytechnic Institute Australia will report your cancellation of enrolment to the Department of Education, which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIBP office or phone the DIBP helpline 131 881.
Polytechnic Institute Australia may initiate a suspension or cancellation of a student’s enrolment as a response to the student’s breach of the code of conduct, misbehaviour or poor academic record. If Polytechnic Institute Australia is intending to initiate a suspension or cancellation of enrolment a warning letter will be sent to the student’s currently notified address and the student will have twenty (20) working days from the date of the warning letter to complain or appeal against Polytechnic Institute
Australia’s decision. Polytechnic Institute Australia will report any suspension or cancellation to the Department of Education which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIBP office or phone the DIBP helpline 131 881.
Polytechnic Institute Australia may defer the commencement of a course. In this case, the provider default conditions in the Written Agreement between Polytechnic Institute Australia and the student will be triggered and Polytechnic Institute Australia will be obliged to repay all course money within 14 days of the date of deferral unless alternative arrangements can be made which are acceptable to the student.
Polytechnic Institute Australia will report its deferral of commencement to DIBP which may affect the status of your visa. If you require more information as to how this action may affect your visa status contact your local DIBP office or phone the DIBP helpline 131 881.

Student Visa Requirements

The rules and regulations apply to students holding student visas. The conditions include:

Absences

Requests for leaves of absence must be supported by documentation and will only be granted when there is a compelling case. A leave of absence can only be granted for one trimester and there will be no refund of course fees.

Class Attendance

Teaching at Polytechnic Institute Australia is face to face and students must attend at least 80% of all scheduled classes during the trimester.

Course Completion

Courses must be completed within the time set out in the Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).

Financial Security

You will be required to have sufficient finances to pay for tuition and living expenses for yourself, your spouse and your dependent children for the duration of your stay in Australia.

Packaging Confirmation of Enrolments

The Confirmation of Enrolments (CoEs) for the Diploma of Business and either the Bachelor of Business (Accounting) or the Bachelor of Business (Marketing) can be combined for one visa application.

Working while you study

Under your visa requirements the DIBP allows you to work while you study for up to 40 hours per fortnight. You cannot work until you have commenced your course in Australia. Once your course has commenced you are permitted to work a maximum of 40 hours per fortnight when your course is in session, and unlimited hours when your course is not in session.
Work that is a formal registered part of your course is not included in the limit of 40 hours per fortnight.
Voluntary, unpaid work, is not included in the limit of 40 hours per fortnight if it:

• is of benefit to the community
• is for a non-profit organisation
• is genuinely voluntary (that is, you are not paid either in cash or other—board and lodging is acceptable).

If the voluntary work could have been undertaken by an Australian resident who would have received a wage, then this is included in the 40 hours.
If you are a postgraduate research student:

• You can work a maximum of 40 hours per fortnight during any preliminary courses you undertake
• If you have commenced your masters by research or doctoral degree in Australia, there is no limit on the number of hours you may work

For additional information with relation to working conditions for student visa holders please visit the
DIBP website for further information.

Bringing your Children?

If you are bringing school-aged children with you when you study in Australia you will need to arrange for them to attend school. The requirements for enrolling students and school fees vary across Australian states and territories, and across schools.
School fees apply to most dependents of temporary residents in New South Wales. There are some exceptions
For a summary of the fee arrangements for public schools in New South Wales, and links to more information, see the DEC International website
.

Entry Requirements

Polytechnic Institute Australia’s courses have flexible entry requirements that apply to all of these courses:

• Bachelor of Business (Accounting); Bachelor of Business (Marketing); and Bachelor of Networking and Telecommunications.

General Entry Requirements

All applicants seeking to enrol in a course with PIA are required to submit acceptable evidence that they meet the published entry criteria for their chosen course.
To satisfy the general entrance requirements for admission to a course, applicants must meet at least one of the following entry requirements:

• Successful completion of an Australian senior secondary qualification (or recognised equivalent) with the equivalent of a minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 60 and

Bachelor of Business

• NSW (or equivalent) Band 4 Standard English; and
• NSW (or equivalent) Band 3 Advanced Mathematics; or
• NSW (or equivalent) Band 4 Standard 2 Mathematics.

Bachelor of Networking and Telecommunications

• NSW (or equivalent) Band 4 Standard English; and
• NSW (or equivalent) Band 3 Advanced Mathematics; or
• NSW (or equivalent) Band 4 Standard 2 Mathematics.

1. Successful completion of a qualification at an Australian registered institution of tertiary education, at AQF level 5 or above (or recognised equivalent issued in a country listed Appendix 2); or
2. Satisfactory completion of an accredited Tertiary Preparation Program or Foundation Year Program offered by an Australian university that enables students to gain entry to an Australian university; and
3. In addition, all students must be 18 years of age or over at the time that they commence the course for which they have applied.

Where there are higher education studies in addition to completed vocational qualifications the decision for admission will solely be based on the higher education academic results.

International students

International students

Students whose first language is not English, must demonstrate competency in the English language. English proficiency can be demonstrated by providing certified evidence of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test result (or equivalent alternative test result, as follows), issued no more than two (2) years prior to date of application:

• IELTS (Academic Module): Overall score of 6.0 with no band less than 6.0; or
• TOEFL: Internet (no section score less than) 80 (20); or
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): Overall score: 57 with minimum communicative skill scores for Reading and Writing (57) and all other sections (50); or
• University of Cambridge – Advanced (CAE): Total score of 52.

Note that the most recent attempt at any language proficiency test supersedes any previous attempts or requirements.
Other acceptable evidence of English proficiency includes:

• Successful completion of an AQF Level 5 Diploma or above with at least two (2) years of full-time study in English at an Australian registered vocational or higher education.

Applicants who do not meet the specified English proficiency requirements must enrol in an English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) program at PIA or a provider of their own choice.
Where student have applied to undertake an ELICOS course through an alternate provider they must provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) for an ELICOS program in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), for a duration of at least twelve (12) weeks for every 0.5 below 6.0 overall or subsection IELTS or equivalent result, prior to application, and evidence of successful completion must be provided prior to enrolling in the PIA course.

Special/Alternative Admission Arrangements

Applicants who are 21 years of age or over who have not completed Year 12 or its equivalent may gain entry to a course by addressing one of the following entry requirements:

1. Successful completion of a Special Tertiary Admissions Test administered by a tertiary admissions centre; or
2. Submission of a portfolio of prior and current academic and professional work; or

Applicants applying under special admission categories will be required to attend an interview with the Dean to assess the applicant’s capacity for higher education studies. The applicant should submit a portfolio of prior and current academic and professional work prior to the interview to assist in the assessment process.
The criteria used by the Dean when approving applicants for admission into a course under special or alternative admission arrangements include:

• capacity to pursue tertiary studies;
• motivation to pursue tertiary studies in the discipline of the chosen course;
• demonstrated potential for academic studies based on the applicant’s portfolio;
• relevant professional and industry experience; and
• specific consideration of access issues for ATSI’s.

The processes used to monitor the progress of students enrolled under special/alternative arrangements include:

• monitoring of the student’s progress by the Learning and Teaching Committee at the conclusion of each term in the first year of the student’s enrolment; and
• a “Review of Student Progress” meeting between the student and the Learning and Teaching Committee at the conclusion of the first semester of the student’s enrolment to review both the academic progression and student welfare.

Applying to study with Polytechnic Institute Australia is easy. We’ve made our application process as simple as possible. The downloadable application form is available here.

You will need

• • A certified copy of your passport and visa
  • A certified copy of your academic records
  • Evidence of English language proficiency
  • A passport size portrait photograph (or email to apply@pia.edu.au)
  • A copy of your resume
  • Documents not in English should be provided with a certified translation.

Admission offer

When your application is successful we will send you the following:

• • • • Letter of Offer
      • Written Agreement

Then you will need to read and complete the agreement.

Tuition fees

Your fee amount will be detailed in your Letter of Offer and you can choose from a number of payment methods.

Enrolment confirmation

Once your payment has been processed you’ll receive a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
1. What are the admission criteria?
Please refer to the Courses section for the admission requirements of each course.
2. How can I apply/enrol to study at Polytechnic Institute Australia?
Step 1: See the Entry requirements for your course. You can apply online. Once your application has been received, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement. If further documents are required you will be notified of this.
Step 2: A Letter of Offer will be sent to successful applicants with an Information Pack providing details of the student agreement, payment, and enrolment.
3. How do I pay for my tuition fees?
Tuition fees are payable in advance for each unit of study. We will advise you of the amount payable and payment methods at confirmation of your enrolment. Full payment information is provided in the Letter of Offer.
4. What is the Refund Policy?
Please refer to our Policies and Procedures section for details.