International

Information for Parents

The decision to send your child overseas to study is an important one. At Central, we recognise your support for your child will be an important part of their successful study experience.

This section addresses some of the issues that are important to parents, covering:

Why choose Perth?
Benefits of sending your child to Central
Study costs
Help and support for your child while they are here
Safety
Living expenses
Arriving & classroom expectations

Contact Us

If you would like to speak to someone about your child, or about Central, please contact us.

International Centre

Central Institute of Technology
Level 4, North Wing
Perth Campus
25 Aberdeen Street
Northbridge WA 6865

Telephone: +61 8 9427 1873

Fax: +61 8 9427 1992

Why Central?

Central is committed to providing quality training for international students.

Central Institute of Technology (Central) is Western Australia’s largest training provider. Based in Perth, Western Australia, we train over 29,000 students a year, including 1,000 international students. The city-based campuses are safe, easily accessible by public transport and located in the heart of Perth’s cultural precinct.

With guaranteed funding from the State Government of Western Australia, Central is financially secure.

In 2009 Central was awarded the Western Australian Large Training Provider of the Year, and in 2010 and 2011 was awarded the Western Australian International Training Provider of the Year.

Central has formal articulation arrangements with Western Australia’s Curtin University to allow guaranteed entry into selected Curtin University courses. Students may also receive credits or advanced standing for degree courses at the University of Western Australia, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University.

Central is committed to supporting international students during their studies.

Why Perth?

A booming city that's easy to live in

Perth offers students a multicultural environment, with people from more than 200 different countries living, working and studying in Western Australia. As you are probably already aware, an overseas experience gives your child a chance for academic growth, but also broadens their social and cultural skills.

Perth is a dynamic city with a global outlook. Business is booming and growth is strong across most industries, particularly in the resource sector. West Australian's are amongst the highest paid in the country, with annual full-time earnings well ahead of the national average. If students wish to live in Australia after their studies - Perth is the ideal choice.

Employers often give preference to people who have had some international study experience.

Because Western Australia is such a multicultural environment, students’ will find that there are places of worship and a wide range of venues that cater for specific dietary requirements if required.

International students can apply for work rights, allowing them to work up to 20 hours a week during term, and full-time during holidays.

Perth offers a unique opportunity to discover the natural beauty of Western Australia. With Central’s campuses all located near the centre of the Perth, students also experience life in a vibrant, cosmopolitan city.

Costs

Cost of study

International students must pay tuition fees up-front. Fees at Central are made up of a course fee and a resource fee. Individual fees vary course by course and will depend on what units the student enrols in, but an indicative cost for course fees fpr a Certificate III through to an Advanced Diploma would range from $5,500 to $13,000 per year.

You also need to consider costs such as a visas, travel/health insurance and books, as well as everyday living costs (see below).

In order to protect your child it is a requirement that every international student must have health insurance while in Australia. This will be organised when applying for a course.

Living expenses

Australia offers one of the highest standards of living in the world, and yet is more affordable than the UK and the USA. The cost of living will depend on your student’s lifestyle and accommodation – but generally an international student living in shared accommodation (without a spouse or children) will need about $24,000 a year for living expenses, including such things as rent, food, transport, entertainment, electricity, telephone, clothing etc.

This does not include costs of purchasing a car or furniture. Rental properties are available in close proximity to the campuses. Parents may find it helpful to discuss an annual or weekly budget with your child.

To see a suggested breakdown of living expenses in Perth see http://pertheducationcity.com.au/English/Live-in-Perth/Living-costs/.

Classes

Classroom expectations

Your child may find studying at Central a significant adjustment. There will be different teaching styles and assessment. The constant use of English may be exhausting for them.

However, once they settle in, most students enjoy the style of learning. Classes at Central are relatively informal with a collaborative approach and are usually small. Students have high contact hours with their lecturer and generally get to know their lecturers very quickly.

It is common for students to find the initial arrival period quite challenging. Central’s International Centre is available to help students whenever they need it – but we usually find students settle into the new environment after a couple of months. If you feel your child needs support, please encourage them to contact the International Centre.

Services and Support

Help and support for your child

Central is committed to supporting international students during their studies, from the moment they arrive through to graduation. We aim to ensure that your child’s experience is enjoyable and rewarding.

Before commencing their course, your child will attend an International Student Orientation day to introduce them to Central and all the support services available.

At Central, we have a dedicated International Centre focused entirely on the personal and academic needs and general wellbeing of our international students. Services include English language support, student advisors, and counselling. Your child will have an International Student Advisor available to them, whose responsibility is to assist international students with any academic issues.

The Centre also provide International Student Counsellors - registered psychologists who are trained to effectively help with problems our international students sometimes experience. This may include social anxiety (or shyness), loneliness, homesickness or feelings of depression and not being able to cope. They assist by teaching specific skills and providing practical assistance.

View more about Central's International Centre

Safety

While Perth is generally a safe place to live, we understand that being in a new city may be daunting, and so we have put in place measures to make sure your child’s stay with us is as secure as possible.

Central offers on-campus security guards, security cameras and free emergency telephones make sure help is readily available. We also provide safety briefings and pocket guides for personal, home and travel safety. Our student advisors are available to give students ongoing support and advice during their stay. The Western Australian Police are very approachable and will readily offer their assistance.

Arrival

It may be beneficial to your student to spend some time together gathering information about Perth, Central and the course they are studying before their departure.

Your child will be provided with extensive predeparture checklists to help get organised. If your child does not have permanent housing arranged, they should arrive at least two weeks before orientation, so accommodation can be found before the start of semester.

Students are officially welcomed to Central with an International Student Orientation day before their studies begin.