Before you move to Melbourne or start life at Victoria University (VU), think about your study and living costs for the year.
We can help you with budgeting and general financial advice. We can also advise on loans, scholarships, and any government assistance you may be entitled to.
You will need to pay a deposit for your tuition fees after you are accepted into a VU course.
If you are an Australian student, your fees will be outlined in your invoice (statement of account).
If you are coming from overseas, your fees will be detailed in your international student offer and acceptance form.
Course tuition fees may vary for different courses and may change each year. We can provide fee assistance and advice if you need help paying your fees.
You may need to buy equipment, textbooks or clothing to participate in some courses.
These resource and material fees will vary depending on the needs of the course.
Cost of textbooks varies depending on your course. To find out which textbooks you need, find your course units and check if there is required reading.
Annual costs for books and stationery is A$650 (approximately).
You can buy new or secondhand textbooks from the VU bookshop. If you need a book for a short time, borrow it from our library.
Depending on your circumstances, these are some other costs to consider:
Our campuses are easily accessible from Melbourne's public transport network.
You will need to buy myki card (a reusable travel card) to travel by train, tram and bus in Melbourne and regional Victorian centres. You can buy a myki card at some train stations, all 7/11 stores and many newsagencies.
Visit the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website for timetables, routes, maps, journey planners and fares.
You may be eligible for a concession myki.
There is a free tram zone in the Melbourne CBD. Make sure you know exactly where the free zone boundaries are.
Whether you own your own car or bicycle (bike) or choose to rent, make sure you consider the ongoing costs. Costs include servicing, fuel, insurance, driver’s licence fees and vehicle registration fees.
Renting a car or bike is a cheaper option. Melbourne bike share is a great option for short trips around the city and inner suburbs.
Check our campus transport and parking options for:
If you are an international student you will need to arrange health insurance for the duration of your stay. This is a condition of your student visa.
Your international student offer and acceptance form will list the fee for Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) which is currently A$435 (for a single, 12-month policy).
OSHC (provided by Allianz Global Assistance) will cover a range of medical services and treatments for you and some of your immediate family.
If you are moving to Melbourne you will need to pay initial set-up costs for your new accommodation.
Costs could include:
Housing costs vary widely, depending on whether you choose student housing services, a private rental and whether your property is furnished.
Find out rental costs for the university's student accommodation at UniLodge @ VU and Victoria Place and other housing and accommodation options.
We provide rental advice and a summary of median rental prices for various parts of Melbourne.
You can have a lot of fun exploring new tastes in Melbourne. The city is home to many cafes and take-away shops, halal restaurants, grocery stores and speciality vegetarian restaurants.
To save money on food and other essential items, you can also buy supplies from a fresh food market. Footscray Market located close to our campuses and Queen Victoria Market located in Melbourne’s CBD offers a delicious assortment of food, plus affordable clothing and other goods.
Food and drinks will cost you A$100 per week (approximately).
If you have children aged 5-17 it is a legal requirement that they attend school.
There are many public, private and multi-faith/religious schools for all ages, with fees ranging from low to very expensive.
Read more about the costs to consider when bringing your family from overseas.
We offer more than 500 scholarships across all levels and fields of study, including 100 scholarships exclusively for secondary school students in Melbourne's west.
We offer also free financial advice from trained professionals, who can advise you on strategies for budgeting study-related and living costs.
If you are a full-time student or Australian apprentice you may be eligible for student income support payments administered by the Department of Human Services (previously known as Centrelink).
Student payments include Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY.
