Challenges Faced by International Students in Australia

Preparing for your career in Australia? It has always remained the most cherished destination for international students, but almost all the students face challenges when they pursue their studies in a foreign land. Here we have listed some challenges faced by international students in Australia.

Australia is one of the most popular places for international study, especially for students from the Asia – Pacific Region. Even though the steady flow of international students makes the socio-economic situation better, but the universities are being questioned because of the rapid commercialization, the process of the selection of students, the role of the government and the funding provided, and the quality of education.

The average number of students that come to Australia to study is, as of February 2019, over 550,000 and they contribute a significant amount of financial profits to the institutions.

Due to the revisions and reforms done in the federal funding system, as of now, Australian institutes generate about AU $7 billion by actively taking in international students. In April of 2019, evidence and research were done on the apparent academic misconduct and on the basis of what were the students taken in by the universities.

Commercial Factors – With the advent of international students, there will be commercialization that will follow as these Australian institutes face a lot of competition with other institutes around the globe with regards to the recruiting of international students. Australia also has a higher exchange rate of currency and a higher cost of living, which makes it unaffordable for some students to study there.

Due to some reforms, the government decided to cap the funding for domestic students, which lead the institutions into an economic driver, where they would most benefit from the students of South Asia. Which means since 2015, Indian students have doubled up in Australia, and Nepali’s have grown to 132%.

Students from these places generally have a really good academic foundation and perform very well and are highly qualified, but due to the immense cost of living and low financial background, they do not get a fair chance.

Australian student fees for international students are high which makes the students work all throughout their degrees to pay the fee. Some initiatives include revisiting the financial resources available for the dispersion of money for the institutions, or possible scholarships.

English Language Standards – Australian universities, since 2012, have a higher standard of English application and requirements that need to be taken care of by the candidate when he/she applies. But a lot of foreign institutes, like Murdoch University, recruit students who do have lower English language qualification.

This makes it difficult for the students of the places where English is a second language to apply even when their academic background is highly qualified. And with education being the third largest export for Australia, this requirement really puts Australia in the back seat and compromises the title it has made for centuries.

Supporting Academic Integrity – Contract cheating is something that is a hot topic in Australia. A lot of institutes educate international students on the topics of plagiarism and collusion, but a lot of firms, company, and tutors provide contract cheating, on and off campus.

Recent surveys have also shown that a lot of non-English speaking students tend to commercial contract cheat more often. There can be a lot many reasons for this, which include, the problem of understanding and time management by the students. But the legislation is working upon it and any organization that now provides contract cheating will be prosecuted.