International students are being encouraged to study in Western Australia with the launch of $16.8 million in programs to incentivise agents and continue international student support initiatives.
Funding of $10 million was committed to the Agent Incentive Scheme in the 2022-23 State Budget to promote WA as a study destination of choice to prospective international students.
While WA education providers have longstanding formal agreements with education agents across the globe, this initiative will provide an additional incentive to agents from the State Government in recognition of successful enrolments at WA education providers.
The Agent Incentive Scheme will provide payments of:
- $500 per student to agents enrolling a confirmed international student in a school, ELICOS or VET provider; and
- $1,000 per student for a confirmed enrolment at one of the five WA universities.
A further $6.8 million was committed to continuing the International Student Accommodation Subsidy (ISAS) and International Student ELICOS Bursary (ISEB) to support and attract international students to WA.
The international student incentives will provide one-off payments of:
- ISAS - $1,500 for up to 2,500 eligible students to offset accommodation expenses while studying full-time in WA in Semester 2, 2022; and
- ISEB - $1,500 for up to 2,000 eligible international students to offset fees when undertaking an approved ELICOS course in WA.
Each of these programs support the McGowan Government's commitment to international education and form part of the additional $41.2 million in international education initiatives announced in the 2022-23 State Budget.
Expressions of interest to participate in the Agent Incentive Scheme will open on 14 September 2022 for CRICOS-registered education and training providers located in WA. Agents who enrol a confirmed international student, with those providers electing to participate in the scheme, may be eligible for the incentive payment.
Providers wishing to register an expression of interest can find further details relating to the Agent Incentive Scheme by visiting https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-jobs-tourism-science-and-innovation/support-international-education
Applications for the Semester 2, 2022 ISAS and ELICOS Bursary programs will open on Wednesday, 14 September 2022. For further assistance with your application, staff support will be available at StudyPerth Student Hub. Students wishing to find further details of these programs and in-person support can visit https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-jobs-tourism-science-and-innovation/support-international-education
As stated by International Education Minister David Templeman:
"Western Australia is the best place in the world to live and study.
"It is vitally important that the McGowan Government incentivises international student agents, as well as students, to encourage them to consider and ultimately make the right choice to study in our State.
"Through the launch of each of these programs, we want to see thousands of students call Western Australia home and make the most of our world-class education institutions."
