Costs & funding
While it’s important to consider the financial costs of studying overseas, an international experience with VU may cost a lot less than you think. Costs vary depending on the destination and your lifestyle choices.
Program fees
Semester exchange
You will continue to pay tuition to VU while on exchange. If you are a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) student, fees are added to your HECS-HELP loan and charged at the domestic-student tuition-fee rate. You do not pay any tuition fees to your host university.
Study tours
When undertaking a study tour you will be enrolled into a VU unit and will incur the usual tuition fee (whether through a loan or paying upfront). Most study tours also have a fee for travel costs, accommodation and additional activities. This fee will need to be paid upfront before departure.
Short programs
Tuition fees for short programs vary. For those that are offered on a fee-paying basis by another institution, all fees are paid directly to that institution. If the program falls within an exchange agreement with VU, you will incur fees as you would when studying at VU (deferred or paid upfront). In both cases, there may also be fees for accommodation and non-academic program activities. Short programs generally do not provide group-flight options.
International student fees are paid to VU, charged at the VU international student fee rate.
Personal costs
Personal costs vary according to your destination, but you will need to budget for:
- travel costs: airfares and surface travel to and from your study destination
- accommodation: whether you stay on-campus, in a homestay, or in private accommodation, you will usually need to pay for it
- living costs: your daily expenses
- visa and passport fees: you will need a passport and for many study destinations you will require a visa, particularly if you are enrolling as an exchange student
- study costs: you may require textbooks, online materials, or other study equipment
- insurance: the University provides some coverage, but you may require additional insurance coverage, particularly if you plan to travel before or after your study.
Funding available
There are a number of ways you can fund your overseas study experience including grants, loans and government scholarships.
This loan scheme offers a cash payment loan from the Australian Government that is added to your HECS-HELP debt. To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:
- Commonwealth-supported Australian citizen, or permanent humanitarian visa holder
- have completed eight units in your degree prior to studying overseas
- have at least one unit remaining in your degree upon returning from overseas.
Full eligibility criteria are outlined on the OS-HELP website.
The 2026 OS-HELP loan amounts are:
- non-Asian destinations: up to $8,442
- Asian destinations: up to $10,130
- a supplementary loan for language study undertaken in preparation for your overseas study in Asia of up to $1,345.
Students may receive one loan per six-month study period and can access a total of two OS‑HELP loans over their lifetime. A student's overseas study must take place within the relevant six-month study period of the OS-HELP loan.
If you currently receive Youth Allowance or Austudy you may be eligible to continue receiving payments while you study overseas.
You will need to provide evidence that you will be studying full-time on an approved overseas program that will be credited towards your degree. Victoria Abroad will provide a letter to assist.
Victoria Abroad has received additional funding from the Australian Government to support overseas study in Fiji.
5 x $10,000 New Colombo Plan (NCP) grants are available for eligible exchange students who study at the University of the South Pacific (USP), Fiji. All students who apply for the University of the South Pacific exchange program will be automatically considered for the funding, should they meet the eligibility criteria. The exchange program must be undertaken between July 2025—December 2026.
Eligibility
In order to receive the NCP grant, you must meet the following criteria:
- be an Australian citizen
- not be a citizen or permanent resident of a host location in which you will undertake a mobility project
- be enrolled in an onshore campus of an Australian university for the duration of the mobility project
- be undertaking a bachelor degree, bachelor honours degree or concurrent diploma
- not be an employee of the branch of DFAT that administers the NCP
- do not, during the course of your bachelor degree or bachelor honours degree:
- receive more than two student grants total
- receive a student grant under both a semester grant and a short-term grant for the same mobility project or for the same period of travel outside of Australia.
- be aware of the requirement to comply with DFAT’s Child Protection Policy 2017 and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy 2019 including the reporting obligations under these policies
- be between 18—28* years of age at the commencement of the mobility program (*Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students do not need to be aged between 18 and 28.) Students who are outside this age bracket can still apply but limited places are available.
Victoria Abroad has received additional funding from the Australian Government to support overseas study in Malaysia.
5 x $15,000 New Colombo Plan (NCP) grants are available for eligible exchange students who study at Sunway College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All students who apply for the Sunway College exchange program will be automatically considered for the funding, should they meet the eligibility criteria. The exchange program must be undertaken between July 2026—December 2027.
Eligibility
In order to receive the NCP grant, you must meet the following criteria:
- be an Australian citizen
- not be a citizen or permanent resident of a host location in which you will undertake a mobility project
- be enrolled in an onshore campus of an Australian university for the duration of the mobility project
- be undertaking a bachelor degree, bachelor honours degree or concurrent diploma
- not be an employee of the branch of DFAT that administers the NCP
- do not, during the course of your bachelor degree or bachelor honours degree:
- receive more than two student grants total
- receive a student grant under both a semester grant and a short-term grant for the same mobility project or for the same period of travel outside of Australia.
- be aware of the requirement to comply with DFAT’s Child Protection Policy 2017 and Preventing Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment Policy 2019 including the reporting obligations under these policies
- be between 18—28* years of age at the commencement of the mobility program (*Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students do not need to be aged between 18 and 28.) Students who are outside this age bracket can still apply but limited places are available.
The Australian Government administers the New Colombo Plan (NCP) Scholarship Program to give Australian undergraduate students the opportunity to live, work and study in the Indo-Pacific region for up to 19 months.
The program provides students with funding to undertake semester-based study, language training and internship or mentorship in one of 40 participating Indo-Pacific locations.
Internal expressions of interest open in April every year for overseas study in the subsequent year.
The University of Gothenburg Partner Scholarship is a financial contribution from the Axel Adler Foundation towards living expenses for incoming exchange students. Students from selected exchange partner universities (including VU) who plan to study on an exchange at the University of Gothenburg (GU), will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship. Both bachelor and master level students are eligible for the award. Victoria University has been awarded two recipients per academic year.
Each student can receive SEK 1000 per week for a maximum of nine months.
The Embassy of France in Australia supports university student mobility from Australia to France through the Nicolas Baudin Program, named for the French explorer and botanist who in 1802, at the same time as Matthew Flinders, charted the coast of New Holland (Australia).
The Travel Grant covers the cost of a return flight ticket between Australia and France (up to the value of €1450, or AUD$2500). As recipients of a French government grant, the Laureates are also exempt from paying the application fees associated with their student visa.
For information about the Baudin Grant, please visit the French Embassy website.
The State Government of Baden-Württemberg, Germany provides a scholarship for students who study in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Students who undertake a exchange semester at Ludwigsburg University of Education (LUE) may be eligible to apply for this scholarship. The value of the scholarship is between €600 to € 1,400 per month.
Please note that an acceptance to study at LUE is not a guarantee to receive a scholarship.
Students can only apply for a scholarship after the nomination and application process, when they have received their acceptance letters. LUE will contact students who are eligible, when they can submit their application for a scholarship and send them further instructions.For information about the Baden-Württemberg Scholarship, please visit the Baden-Württemberg website.