Fee exemptions policy

Audience

Temporary visa holders who wish to enrol their dependants in a Queensland state school.

Purpose

This policy exempts certain categories of school age dependant students from the requirement to pay international student tuition fees. This document outlines what a 'fee exemption' means, who is exempt from paying fees and how to enrol a child in a Queensland state school where a fee exemption applies.

Policy statement

The Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) (EGPA) provides authority for the Department of Education (DoE) to charge a fee for the education of a person at a state school who is not:

• an Australian citizen or permanent resident; or
• a child of an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

The power to charge a fee includes the power to “exempt any person or matter from payment of the fee”.

Most students holding temporary visas are required to pay fees to attend a Queensland state school. Please refer to the DE International schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions for further information. The department will exempt certain categories of dependant students from the requirement to pay fees.

Principles

• DE International’s primary role is to lead, facilitate and coordinate the department’s international activities.
• DE International develops and promotes programs for dependants of international students studying in Queensland tertiary and vocational education institutions.

Requirements

Exemption from paying tuition fees

If an exemption applies, parents are not required to pay tuition fees for the education of their child at a Queensland state school. This means that the cost of providing instruction, administration and facilities for the education of the child at a state school is met by the State. Other fees may apply, for example, uniforms, text books, other resources and excursions.

Guidelines for assessing parental linkage between a child and an Australian citizen or permanent resident are used by the Department of Education International (DEi) to assess if the temporary resident applying for enrolment at a State school is the child of an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and if the child’s enrolment is free under the EGPA.

Exemptions for school age dependants of student visa holders

School age dependants of student visa holders may be exempt from the requirement to pay tuition fees for their education (Prep – Year 12) in Queensland state schools. ‘School age dependant’ of a student visa holder means a member of the family unit of the student visa holder who has turned 5, but has not turned 18 (see the Migration Regulations 1994 (Cwth)). Any exemption only applies for the duration of the primary student visa holder's (parent's) course of study in Queensland.

Categories of exemptions

1. New Zealand citizens are not charged tuition fees (the cost of providing instruction, administration and facilities for the education of the person at a state school is met by the State). For further information about New Zealand citizens entering Australia, please see the Department of Home Affairs’ website.
2. The primary student visa holder is a postgraduate research Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student. Dependants are exempt from paying tuition fees, except where the dependants are from a country whose government sponsors dependant children.
3. The primary student visa holder is studying a Masters by Research Degree at a regional Queensland university located outside South East, Metropolitan and North Coast education regions, except where the primary student visa holder is receiving financial support from their home country government.
4. The primary student visa holder holds one of the following scholarships:

• Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Development Awards
• Australian Development Scholarship (ADS)
• Australian Leadership Awards Scholarship (ALA)
• Australian Regional Development Scholarship
• Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship
• Prime Minister’s Pacific-Australia Awards.

5. The primary student visa holder holds one of the following full tuition scholarships, for the duration of their course of study:

• Commonwealth Government – Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships
• Queensland university scholarship.

Part scholarships will be charged at the published fee rate.

6. Visa subclasses (other than 500 Student) identified as fee exempt on the DE International schedule of visa subclasses and enrolment conditions.

How to enrol your child where an exemption applies

If you want to enrol your school age dependant in a Queensland state school and one of the categories of exemption, listed above, applies, you must complete a Temporary resident application form.

DEi Temporary Residents Admissions (TRA) will confirm whether or not the fee exemption applies.

Further information on the application process is available on the Education Queensland International website.

Definitions

Legislation

• Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) Section 51
• Migration Regulations 1994 (Cwth) Section 1.03

Delegations/Authorisations

• Delegation of Director-General’s Powers under Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld) Section 51(6)  

Other resources

• Temporary Residents Admissions policy 
• User charging procedure 
• Guidelines for assessing parental linkage between a child and an Australian citizen or permanent resident 
• New Zealand Citizens - Do I need a visa to enter Australia? 
• Study on another temporary visa application process 
• Temporary residents admissions website 
• Temporary residents application form 

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

1.0 Fee exemptions