International students have been shocked by the significant increase in student visa fees from $710 to $1,600.
The government says the change will help fund important higher education reforms.
The more than double increase in student visa application fees has left Wang Cheng hesitant to choose Australia as her study destination. (Supplied: Wang Cheng)
What's next: Rising tuition fees and rising course fees may make prospective students think about other countries like the UK or Canada instead, students say.
"Am I a cash cow?" Wang Cheng, a 21-year-old college student, asked.
王澄来自中国东部省份江苏苏州，对明年来墨尔本大学 (The University of Melbourne) 或新南威尔士大学 (The University of New South Wales) 攻读法律学位犹豫不决。
Today, the federal government announced an increase in international student visa fees from $710 to $1,600 from 1 July.
The doubling of application fees has prompted a number of prospective and accepted international students to reconsider their plans to study in Australia.
"Is it because <澳大利亚政府> you don't want me to come at all?" Wang Cheng questioned.
王在权衡在澳大利亚学习的总体成本，她考虑选择离家近和性价比更高的留学地。 (Supplied: Wang Cheng)
While she acknowledges that Australian universities are attractive in their world rankings, she is now also looking at other universities in Hong Kong or Europe.
"Hong Kong's proximity to Chinese mainland and cultural similarities make it an even more attractive option," Wang said.
"And the <香港的大学>course project time is relatively short, which reduces the overall cost."
Australia is a popular study destination for Bhutanese students, but Kama Demar, a mother of two, believes that rising tuition fees may make more Bhutanese consider other study destinations. (Supplied: Karma Dema)
Kama Dema, a single mother from Bhutan who is currently in Australia supporting her two children to attend a vocational and technical education college, says she also has to take into account the high cost of living.
"In addition to the cost, there is also the cost of accommodation and inflation, which is too expensive combined," said Ms. Delmar. ”
She added that while she wanted to give both children an equal chance, if she had to make a decision today, she might only be able to pay for a visa for one child to study at an Australian university.
Meanwhile, Jigme Dolma, who is preparing for a master's degree in information technology at the University of Canberra, said she was worried about the affordability of Bhutanese students like her in the future.
"This change could hurt people from ordinary Bhutanese backgrounds," Dolma said. ”
Rising tuition fees, as well as increased course fees, could make prospective students think about other countries like the UK or Canada, she said.
Current students measure value for money
Despite warnings that tuition fee increases will have an impact on potential applicants, the federal government says the additional funds it is raising will help fund the University Agreement, with important reforms proposed, including cutting graduate debt and financial support for apprenticeships.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the changes would help "restore" the integrity of the international education system.
In a statement, she said: "<这将>Build a fairer, smaller, and more service-oriented immigration system for Australia. ”
Experts expect that this change will lead to a decrease in international students, which will have an impact on the economy.
As of March, more than 740,000 international students contributed more than $47 billion to the Australian economy.
Phil Honeywood, chief executive of the Australian Association of International Education, said the change would put further pressure on universities that relied on international student tuition fees amid a funding shortcut.
Honeywood told the ABC: "This is to find a new revenue stream to fund <政府>their University Agreement project.
亨利·赞波利现在不确定他是否会继续申请签证。 (Supplied: Henry Zampoli)
Current students and those who have been accepted are also reconsidering their options.
Henri Zampoli, a student from Brazil, said he wanted to change his degree from information technology to marketing, but was reluctant to reapply for a student visa to transfer.
"I want to cancel it, it's too expensive," said Zampoli, 21.
"As soon as I saw these new changes, my first instinct was to take a step back and try to search for some European universities."
At the same time, a lot of people are frustrated by the recent series of changes for international students and worry about other related changes that may continue to occur in the future.
Eric Shen is reconsidering his options to study in Australia, even though he has already been accepted by two universities. (Supplied: Eric Shen)
Eric Shen, a Chinese student who has already been accepted to study art at The University of Sydney, said the tuition rate hike sent a message that international students were not welcome.
He described the move as "clumsy", adding that it affected Australia's attractiveness as a study abroad destination.
Mr. Shen is concerned that other costs for international students may also rise, so he is currently considering other study destinations as well.
阮明江希望在阿德莱德学习，但对澳大利亚生活成本的上涨感到忧心。 (Supplied: Nguyen Minh Giang)
Nguyen Minh Giang is from Hanoi, Vietnam, and she is already enrolled and is excited to pursue a master's degree in communication at Flinders University, but she is concerned that others from her country will not be able to afford the same opportunities.
She is also worried about working in Australia after graduation.
Nguyen Minh Giang said that some people who had obtained a specific degree and received a graduation visa could have renewed their visas for two years, but the policy was lifted, creating a lot of uncertainty.
"Now because of the higher fees, <学生> if you choose Australia, everything will be tough," she said.
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