Schools & education in Australia

Public school is free for citizens and PRs but can cost thousands per year for a temporary visa holder’s kids — and the bill varies sharply by state.

Public, Catholic, and independent schools

Australian schooling splits into three sectors: free government (public) schools for citizens and permanent residents, lower-fee Catholic systemic schools (roughly $2,000–$8,000/year depending on state and year level), and independent schools ranging from a few thousand dollars up to $35,000+/year at Australia’s most prestigious private secondary colleges. Public schools are organised by state, are strong across most metro and regional areas, and are the default choice for the large majority of families, including most migrants.

Fees for temporary visa holders’ children — NSW vs Victoria

Here’s the detail that catches new arrivals off guard: public school is not automatically free for a temporary visa holder’s children, and the fee schedule differs sharply by state. In New South Wales, the Department of Education runs a Temporary Residents Program specifically for children of temporary visa holders (including Skills in Demand 482 visa holders): the 2026 annual tuition fee is $6,400 for Kindergarten through Year 10 and $7,600 for Years 11–12, covering 40 school weeks, plus a one-off $150 application fee. In Victoria, by contrast, most non-citizen, non-PR temporary visa holders (482 visa families included) are billed on the same schedule as genuine international students: $16,000/year for Prep–Year 6, $19,600 for Years 7–10, and $22,000 for Years 11–12 — roughly two-and-a-half times the NSW rate for the same visa category. A narrower “dependant visa holder” category in Victoria pays somewhat less ($13,600–$18,700), and some other states (notably Queensland, for certain employer-sponsored visa subclasses) offer partial or full fee exemptions — so the practical cost of sending two kids to public school for a year can differ by $15,000–$20,000+ purely based on which state you land in.

University: domestic vs international fees

Universities classify students as domestic (citizens, permanent residents, NZ citizens — eligible for government-subsidised Commonwealth Supported Places and HECS-HELP income-contingent loans) or international (everyone else, including most temporary visa holders’ dependent children turning 18 while still on a parent’s visa). International tuition runs roughly $25,000–$45,000+ per year depending on the course (medicine, veterinary science and some specialised programs run higher), paid upfront or per semester, with no access to HECS-HELP. If your long-term plan includes a child attending an Australian university, being on a pathway to permanent residency well before they finish high school can be worth tens of thousands of dollars in tuition.

Childcare subsidy

The federal Child Care Subsidy (CCS) reduces the cost of approved childcare and outside-school-hours care based on family income and activity level (hours worked/studying), and is available to eligible visa holders — broadly citizens, permanent residents, and holders of certain temporary visas including partner visas and some skilled visas, but generally not student visa or working holiday visa holders. Full-time long day care without any subsidy commonly runs $130–$180+ per day in capital cities, so confirming your visa subclass’s CCS eligibility before budgeting for childcare is essential.