Money
There are obviously financial implications of taking on postgraduate study. It is likely that you have considered these prior to enrolment. However a quick rundown of various money-related aspects can be useful at this point.
Scholarships
Many scholarships assist students who find it difficult to access (e.g. students in financial difficulties and in particular those from regional and rural areas, non-English speaking background students, Indigenous students and off-campus students studying by distance education). Deakin has a range of merit and access and equity scholarships that are available to students. More details regarding eligibility and application procedures are on the website.
Employer-funded study
In some cases, employers may partially or fully pay the fees for further study. This is by no means something that is automatically available! It will most likely occur if the course relates to the nature of the work you do, and your employer agrees that by you undertaking the study there are direct benefits to your workplace. Most often this will be agreed before study commences, and will be via negotiation with your employer. No two places of work are the same, and you will only find out if it is a possibility by asking.
Managing your budget
There are many websites that have good advice about budgeting.
- Consumers Online Australian Government
It may help to speak with a financial planner or accountant if your study plans have changed your income circumstances, so that you have a plan to work from and are not worrying about money when you could be studying!
Loan schemes
The Australian Government has introduced the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) to assist students pay for their studies. FEE-HELP provides eligible fee-paying students with a loan to cover their postgraduate course tuition fees. For full information go to Going to Uni.
Tax benefits
In some cases where study is related to the work you do, there may be tax benefits available in the form of claimable expenses. For further information, speak with an accountant and contact the Australian Taxation Office.
Finding part-time and casual work
For students who have come to Australia to study, you will probably be seeking part-time or casual work while you are here. Firstly, be aware of the number of hours that your visa will allow you to work. And in terms of searching for jobs, there are many ways to approach this. Deakin has a Careers and Employment service (Jobshop) that can provide a lot of practical information this topic - start with the Careers website.
Further information
