Included Program Benefits: The Melbourne program package includes tuition at Monash University, student amenities fees, a single on-campus bedroom for each student, Australian medical insurance and emergency evacuation insurance, a comprehensive orientation program, airport pick up, periodic meal stipend, an ITS print card, one multi-zone public transport Travel Pass, cultural trips and tours, round trip airfare, and the student visa fee.

Program Costs and tips on cost of living:  The student spending range for the semester is typically between $3000 – 6000.  The range is impacted by how often students eat out (cooking helps to control costs), how much students shop and drink, and how often they travel outside of Melbourne.  Students should buy groceries regularly and prepare their own meals to help control costs.  Students are given a periodic meal stipend to help offset food expenses, and a public transportation pass is provided for transportation in and around Melbourne. 

Clothes can be expensive in Australia, so shopping should be kept to a minimum if possible.  Travel to Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Great Barrier Reef will often require air travel, and this will greatly impact spending as well.  Students should attempt to plan travel in advance, research airfares, and stay in hostels.  One cost that should also be taken into account is the internet.  While students do have an allotment of 1GB free internet usage, students will have to pay for any internet use beyond this amount.  Typical usage fees run from $20 – 60 AUD per month. 

Health Services, Insurance Information:  The health care services in Australia are excellent, and easily accessible.  There is a full service student health center on campus and a hospital just adjacent to the campus.  All students are provided with an Australian health insurance policy through Overseas Student Health Care (OSHC).  This policy will fully reimburse students for all medical treatment abroad, except when treating a pre-existing condition.  In some cases, students may need to pay for their medical bill until they can be reimbursed by OSHC.  There is an OSHC office on campus for easy consultation.  The OSHC policy will not cover students outside of Australia, so it is important that all students retain a domestic policy that will cover them overseas in the case of emergencies.

Link to Consular Information Sheet:  It is important for your son/daughter to know as much as possible about the country he/she will be living in or visiting. The U.S. Department of State provides American Citizens with information on each country/territory around the world. Here is the link to the Country Specific Information on Australia, along with Travel Alerts and Travel Warnings.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_954.html

Visa Procedures / Airline arrangements:   Students are required to get a student visa from the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC.  In order to get a visa, students must have a passport that is valid for at least 3 months after the planned date of departure from Australia.  Students should apply for a passport as soon as they know they are applying to study abroad.  If the student already has a passport, the expiration date should be checked to ensure that it meets the date requirement.  The Melbourne program director will assist students with their visa applications.  The Australian student visa does not require any extraneous paperwork that students would have to gather, although they will need to supply a few passport sized photos.  The director completes the application with the students, puts together the necessary documentation and takes the applications to the Embassy.  The Embassy will process them and return them to the International Programs office.  Once received, we will contact the students to pick up their passports with the visas in them.

We purchase group flights for the students.  The flight is typically out of JFK or Newark, connects in LAX or SFO, and then continues to Auckland, and Melbourne.  Students are responsible for getting themselves to the airport to meet the group flight.  In most cases, students will be escorted by a representative from Loyola.  Students living on the west coast have the option of meeting the group in California.  The program director should be notified well in advance if a student would like to pursue this option.  Students are allowed to change their return tickets once they arrive in Australia if they wish to.  They are responsible for making any changes themselves.  When the flights are booked, the students will be given information about the airlines, baggage rules, change rules and airports.

Banking / Money Issues: Students are encouraged to keep their domestic bank account open while abroad, and use their regular debit and credit cards while in Australia.  You should check with your bank to make sure that your student’s debit card will work overseas, and find out what fees are associated with using the account internationally (do the same with any credit cards).  Students will be able to withdraw money from any ATM in Australia (as long as the account has a debit card instead of an ATM card).  Bank of America is partnered with Westpac Bank in Melbourne.  That means that students with BoA accounts should be able to withdraw money from any Westpac ATM without incurring any fees (there is a Westpac ATM on campus, and they are also all over the country).  Using a debit or credit card ensures that students will get the best exchange rate of the day.  Credit/ Debit cards are widely accepted in Australia (including in taxis).  Students should make sure that they are signed up for web banking for all accounts that they will be using overseas.  That way they can monitor any fees that are being charged, as well as know their balance in American dollars.  It is a good idea for parents to establish joint access to the account in case of emergencies.  Students will also open an Australian Bank Account, where the food stipend will be deposited.  When using ATMs in Australia, all information and dispensed currency will be in Australian Dollars (AUD).  Check www.xe.com for the current currency conversion.

Packing / Getting Ready:   Students studying in Australia will have the chance to speak with past Loyola-Melbourne students regarding the latest tips on packing.  The climate in Melbourne is generally temperate, but it does get cool and windy in the winter.  As it is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed.  Melbourne experiences mild, wet winters (June – August), and warm, dry summers (December – February).  The fall semester has temperatures from the 40s – 80s.  The spring semester will experience the same in reverse—starting in the 90s and finishing in the 50s.  Areas to the farther north in Australia will stay warm year-round.  Students should bring a good pair of sneakers, and a sampling of clothes for all seasons.  A coat is recommended for winter.  Students should plan on purchasing small appliances in Australia if they plan on using them.  Students should bring Australian plug convertors for their laptops and chargers.  They do not need electricity adaptors for those items as they work on international electric currency.  If students wish to purchase any linens or towels, they should do so in Australia.  There is cheap shopping close to campus where students can purchase anything they need so that it does not take up room or weight in their suitcases. 

Misc: Communication is often a concern for parents.  There is a sizable time difference between the U.S. and Australia, so it is best to plan out good times for phone calls with your student beforehand.  All students will have phone and internet connections in their rooms.  Students can also buy phone cards with great rates for calling to the US.  International phone cards that you buy in the US will not work well or at all from Australia.  Have your student wait to buy them overseas. 

Most students will purchase local cell phones.  For basic services, students can often pay as they go.  In most cases, students can receive incoming calls without using their minutes.  You should also look into special rates for calling to Australia through either your cell phone or land-line phone company.  Most companies have them, but do not advertise them. 

Websites:

 Monash University website  
 Information about Melbourne  
 Information about Australia