Costs of studying & living

Before you move to Melbourne or start life at Victoria University (VU), it's important to think about your study and living costs.

Study costs

Course fees

If you are an Australian student, your fees will be outlined in your invoice (statement of account).

If you are an international student, your fees will be detailed in your international student offer and acceptance form and you will need to pay a deposit for your tuition fees after you are accepted into your course. You are also required to pay your first semester fees in full before starting your course.

Course tuition fees may vary for different courses and change each year. If you have questions about your fees, please contact VUHQ or submit an online enquiry via AskVU.

Course resources, textbooks & materials

You may need to buy equipment, textbooks or uniforms to participate in some courses.

The cost of textbooks and materials will vary depending on your course. To find out which textbooks you need, find your course units and check if there is required reading. You may be able to borrow textbooks and other study resources from the VU Library.

Other study costs

Depending on your circumstances, these are some other costs to consider:

graduation ceremony costs
library expenses:
- printing/scanning/copying
- book fines for overdue library books
studying abroad and students on exchange in Melbourne have additional semester fees and fees for compulsory health insurance, visas, travel and living costs.

Travel costs

Public transport

Our campuses are accessible from Melbourne's public transport network. You will need to buy a myki card (a reusable travel card) to travel by train, tram and bus in Melbourne and regional Victoria. You can buy a myki card at train stations, 7/11 stores and many newsagencies. After buying your myki, you need to top up to activate the card and travel.

To travel using a myki card, look for the myki card readers on trams, buses, and train station entrances. Touch your myki to the centre of the card reader. Hold still and listen for the beep. A green light shows on the reader when you've successfully touched on.

There is a free tram zone in the Melbourne CBD. Make sure you know exactly where the free zone boundaries are. You can be fined for not touching on whilst travelling outside the Free Tram Zone.

Visit the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website for timetables, routes, maps, journey planners and fares.

Concession fares and discounts

Undergraduate and TAFE students studying full time can apply for a PTV Tertiary Student ID. Postgraduate students or part-time students are not eligible for student concession fares. However, if you have a current Health Care Card issued by Centrelink, you can travel at the concession fare rate.

International students may be eligible to purchase an International Student Travel Pass, which provides a 50 per cent discount on 90-day, 180-day and 365-day public transport passes.

Driving

If you own a car, make sure you consider the ongoing costs. Costs include servicing, fuel, insurance, driver’s licence fees and vehicle registration fees. If you only need to use a car sometimes, renting a car may be a cheaper option.

Limited paid parking is available at most VU campuses, except in the city where there is no University parking.

Cycling

Cycling around Melbourne is a great option for trips around the city and inner suburbs. Road rules apply to cyclists. In Victoria, you must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter. You may be fined for not wearing a bicycle helmet.

Bicycle parking is available at all VU campuses. Our City, Footscray Park, and Footscray Nicholson campuses have bicycle hubs with showers, lockers for your clothing and secure bike parking.

Accommodation & housing costs

If you are moving to Melbourne, you will need to pay set-up costs for your new accommodation. Housing costs can vary widely and can include:

a 'bond' or security deposit for your accommodation
rent in advance
furniture and other household items.

Check out our Student Housing Guide for more information about the housing and accommodation options in Melbourne.

Student Housing Guide (PDF, 3.5 MB)

Other expenses

: If you are an international student, you are required 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). OSHC covers a range of medical services and treatments for you and some of your immediate family.
: 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 and vegan restaurants.
To save money on food and other essential items, you can also buy supplies from a fresh food market. Footscray Market is located close to our Footscray Park and Footscray Nicholson campuses, and Queen Victoria Market is located near our City campus in Melbourne’s CBD.
: 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. Fees can vary between schools.

Financial information & support

Scholarships

We offer scholarships across all levels and fields of study, including scholarships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and current secondary school students.

Students can access funds for items such as laptops, books, tools of trade and other course materials that are directly related to their studies through the VU Thrive Grant. This donor-funded grant is designed to support current students to help ease the financial costs of education and to help set them up for success in their chosen field of study.

Australian Government financial support

If you are an Australian citizen or hold an Australian Permanent Resident (PR Visa), you may be eligible for student income support payments if you are enrolled full-time in an apprenticeship, TAFE or Higher Education course.

Student payments include Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY.

Visit the Services Australia website for further information.

Emergency financial assistance & budgeting guidance

Our Student Welfare team can offer assistance, referrals and advice to help current VU students manage their finances while studying. Student Welfare is unable to provide funds to assist in paying course fees.

Services provided by Student Welfare include:

emergency financial assistance for needs such as groceries, pharmaceuticals, and clothing
advice about managing your study and living related costs
advice about utility bills, providers, and Government relief grant schemes
advice about credit card debts, personal debts, mobile phone plans and fines
information about eligibility for Centrelink payments.

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