International students at the University of Melbourne say rising tuition fees and visa costs are placing severe financial pressure on them.

International tuition fees have increased by roughly seven per cent annually over the past three years, outpacing Australia’s inflation rate of around three to four per cent.

International student Mao Congyue said the scale and consistency of the increases had come as a shock to students already struggling with living costs.

“The university treats international students like cash cows,” Mao said. He stated that the increases of more than 20 per cent over three years had made study increasingly unaffordable. “The fee increases are much higher than inflation, it’s not just inflation driving it,” he said.

There were also concerns from students about a lack of transparency around the fee rises. 

“There’s no clear explanation of why fees are increasing or where the money is going,” Mao said. 

The concerns come as universities across Australia continue to rely heavily on international student revenue to support operations.

Student frustration has also been compounded by recent federal government changes to visa costs, particularly the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa. The application fee has doubled from about $2,300 to more than $4,600. Monash University Greens member Toyo White, said the increase would disproportionately affect financially vulnerable students.

“Some students were always going to be able to find that money and stay here — but not the students who are struggling the most,” White said.

White also rejected claims that international students are driving broader economic pressures.

“We’re told that international students are the reason housing is unaffordable, that’s all BS. The effect that international students have on something like the housing market is minuscule at best,” they said.

Mao said the visa fee increase had added to uncertainty for students planning to remain in Australia after graduation.

Mao also said students had begun organising meetings and campaigns at the University of Melbourne, and that the issue reflected broader problems in higher education funding:

“A lot of responsibility falls on the university to improve support and integration,” he stated.

Image source: NCA NewsWire