DFAT Australia Awards

Australia Awards are an important component of Australia's investment in education. They provide long and short term study and professional development opportunities to citizens from developing countries around the globe.

The ANU is proud to host one of the largest cohorts of Australia Awards scholars in Australia. The scholarship program aims to improve mutual understanding between Australia and partner countries through education and enrichment

If you have recently received an Australia Awards Offer to study at ANU, we have some important pre-arrival information for you such as how to accept your offer, organising accommodation and airport pickup etc.

Please read the relevant sections carefully and the reference documents attached.

*If you are interested in becoming an Australia Awards Scholar, please first visit the DFAT Australia Awards Website for more information on the list of participating countries and overall application process.

- Accepting your offer

Congratulations on receiving your Australia Award Scholarship and we look forward to welcoming you to the Australian National University.

You will be notified once an offer has been made by your local DFAT representative. Please follow the instructions provided in the offer letter to complete and sign the following documents:

  • ANU Offer Acceptance Declaration form
  • ANU Acceptance form
  • Any additional documents which may have been requested

You will need to return these forms via email on the address indicated on  your offer letter as soon as possible. 

*Further informational guides can be found under the 'Reference Documents' box on the top right hand corner of this page. 
 

- Arrival FAQ

Can I arrive on a weekend or a public holiday?

We strongly recommend that you arrive on a weekday (Monday to Friday during business hours) so that we can organise airport pick-up and temporary accommodation accordingly.

What can I bring?

Australia has strict quarantine laws to protect its valuable agriculture industries and unique environment. Before you travel, find out what you can't take into Australia via the links below:

When entering Australia, all passengers must complete an 'Incoming Passenger Card' and declare whether they are carrying any food, plant material or animal products. If in doubt, always declare.

  • Other items that must be declared include: Medicines and any cash currency worth over AUD $10,000.

NOTE: If you are using prescribed medication, contact the nearest Australian diplomatic mission to confirm that the medicines and the amount are permitted. You should also bring a letter from your doctor with details and purpose of the medication.

  • It is prohibited to carry illicit drugs.

- Organising Temporary Accommodation and Airport Pick-up

Our Sponsored Students officers will assist you in facilitating temporary accommodation and airport pickup on arrival - if requested. Our officers will meet students at the airport and transport you either to your temporary accommodation or the University - whichever is more appropriate at the time of your arrival.

NOTE: Please submit the Temporary Accommodation & Airport Pickup form (even if you have organised your own arrangement) at least 3 weeks before arriving in Australia. You can find this form under the 'Reference Documents' box above, once completed please forward the form to:

Crawford Students

All other students

- Accommodation Organised by ANU

The Sponsored Students team will be able to organise temporary accommodation for you. However, we strongly encourage students to seek out accommodation independently also as we have a limited number spaces to offer.

This is not be an offer of permanent accommodation - students who wish to apply for permanent on campus accommodation, please refer to the Applying for Permanent Accommodation section.

Toad Hall will permit Check-ins from 2pm on 2 January 2020 and students will be required to depart their temporary accommodation strictly at 10 am, 31 January 2020.

Davey & Kinloch Lodge will begin Check-ins from 2pm on 3 January 2020 and students will be required to depart their temporary accommodation strictly at 10 am, 27 January 2020.

If you plan on arriving prior to the 2 of January, you must ensure to arrange your own bridging accommodation in the meantime.

This offer of temporary accommodation is for the Australia Award recipient only. We unfortunately cannot extend this to other students and/or family members (children).

Please also be advised: you will be responsible for payments of costs associated with temporary accommodation.

- Cancellation Policy

Confirmed bookings for temporary accommodation require payment for the entire period. Please be aware that if you arrive after your check in date or wish to check out prior to the contract date, you are still liable for the full payment.

- Self Organised Temporary Accommodation

Students can organise their own temporary accommodation prior to arriving in Australia, the following services may be helpful is assisting you to make arrangements:

- Applying for Permanent Accommodation

As the organisation of permanent accommodation can sometimes be a lengthy process, we recommend that you organise at least 3 weeks of temporary accommodation before you arrive in Australia. Please refer to the Organising Temporary Accommodation and Airport Pickup section for information on how to organise this.

- On Campus Accommodation (for Single and Couples only - no children)

To apply for permanent on campus accommodation you must do the following:

Registration is free and without obligation, so we do encourage you to make an application. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered so it is important that you check all areas of the application and ensure that you submit it.

*Please be aware that we cannot guarantee you an offer of accommodation so please ensure you are looking into off campus alternatives upon your arrival to ANU.

Permanent Accommodation Contract Dates

FULL YEAR CONTRACTS 2020:

Davey & Kinloch Lodge
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
1 February 2020 31 December 2020 48 Weeks
Warrumbul, Lena Karmel Lodge & Ursula Hall (Laurus Wing):
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
1 February 2020 1 February 2021 52 Weeks
All other Residences:
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
5 February 2020 16 December 2020 45 Weeks

HALF YEAR CONTRACTS 2020:

Davey & Kinloch Lodge
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
1 February 2020 10 July 2020 23 Weeks
Warrumbul, Lena Karmel Lodge & Ursula Hall (Laurus Wing):
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
1 February 2020 10 July 2020 23 Weeks
Davey & Kinloch Lodge
Full Year Contract Start Date Contract End Date No. of Contracted Weeks
5 February 2020 8 July 2020 22 Weeks

You must be aware that, when you accept your offer, you will be required to pay from/to these dates regardless of whether you choose to arrive after the contract start date or depart before the end of the contract.

Please ensure you carefully read your accommodation offer contract dates and contractual obligations. If you break your contract you will be charged a cancellation fee and will be required to pay until your room is filled.

Your formal offer of accommodation, subject to you meeting the criteria, will be sent electronically to the email address that you provided to us in your application. You will have 48 hours to accept this offer from the date the offer is sent.

Costs do vary between each Residence so please ensure you are familiar with our Fees & Charges so that you can budget towards any variances that may come with your accommodation offer.

You will receive only one accommodation offer from the ANU and, while you will be considered for your preferred residence. Due to the high level of demand and limited accommodation in each Residence, we cannot guarantee that you will be offered a place in your preferred residence.

Please note: If you receive this offer on a weekend and you experience any difficulties accepting the offer or need to speak to staff in regards to the acceptance fees, simply make contact with the residence on the first business day after receiving the offer.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly once the applications close. If you are not able to check your email personally, please ensure you elect someone else to check your email for you so that you do not miss out on your accommodation offer. Accommodation offers will commence in mid- December and continue on throughout January so you must check your email account regularly.

If you have any enquiries about your application or this process, please contact:

Crawford Students

All other students

- Off-campus Accommodation and Accommodation for Couples and Families

ANU residential halls and colleges provide accommodation mainly for single students, with a very limited number of rooms for couples. This means that couples and families will need to find a house or flat to rent off campus.

Single students may also prefer to seek off-campus accommodation for privacy, or to save on accommodation costs by sharing a rental property.

Please be prepared! Rental properties are in short supply and high demand in Canberra, and time and perseverance is needed to secure accommodation. Be also aware of accommodation scams: never arrange to rent off-campus accommodation without first viewing the property.

If you are not single, you are strongly advised to arrive in Canberra alone and have your family join you later.

There are important reasons for this. Firstly, short-term accommodation suitable for families is often limited to hotels, which are very expensive. Secondly, the most suitable long-term family accommodation is either an apartment or house and you should never arrange to rent this sort of accommodation without first inspecting the property.

What options are available?

Options for off-campus accommodation can be:

  • Renting a property for yourself (and your family, if they are accompanying you)
  • Sharing a rental property with one or more unrelated people
  • Boarding: renting a room with a local family (some boarding homes may include utilities and/or meals in their fee).

For more information on accommodation options and renting procedures, please see:

Shared accommodation (known as 'share housing' or 'group housing') is a great starting point for single students new to Canberra as this can make renting off-campus more affordable. The benefits of a group house could include security, sharing expenses and domestic responsibilities, and making new friendships. Some other factors you need to consider are the lack of privacy, personality clashes and social distractions that may affect your study.

How much does off-campus accommodation cost?

Rental prices can vary from around A$300 to A$500 per week or more for an unfurnished apartment or unfurnished small house in Canberra. Rentals in Queanbeyan (a town on the border of Canberra) are slightly lower - rent for a two-bedroom apartment will be around $250 per week and upwards. Furnished accommodation will be about $50 per week more than unfurnished.

You will need to consider other set-up costs such a rental bond (refundable at the end of the lease if you leave the property in a clean and appropriate condition), establishing utilities, and purchasing furniture. For example a sample rental establishment budget could look like this

- Overseas Health Cover (OSHC)

We will be assisting you on arrival and in your Introductory Academic Program (IAP) to understand your health cover and also how to order a membership card.

Your OSHC policy number is your 7 digits ANU ID number end with ANU, eg. 6123456ANU.  If you need your OSHC certificate, you can print it yourself after creating your account via this link https://allianzassistancehealth.com.au/en/auth/verifyAccount/

- Money & Banking

We will be sending information through email on how to open a bank account in Australia closer to the date of your arrival.

Please ensure you have at least $500.00 cash in Australian currency when you arrive, available to buy your first meals and purchases in Canberra on arrival.

It may take a while before you can withdraw your establishment allowance from the bank,

From 1 July 2017 the new Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for foreign nationals requires that they provide their Tax ID number (TIN) when they open new bank accounts.  This effects all international students, so please make sure you bring your TIN confirmation. CRS is a regulatory requirement and all financial institutions in Australia will be collecting this information. Every customer has to provide their tax residency information.

- IAP

The Introductory Academic Program (IAP) is mandatory and intended to provide awardees with support during their first weeks in Australia, to assist in preparing for study in Australia, to enhance their ability to meet the demands of their studies and maximise the likelihood of completing their course by the scholarship completion date.

The Pre-sessional program (PSP) aims to prepare students who may be embarking on graduate coursework for the first time, or who may have been away from formal studies for a significant period of time. It ensures students can adjust to the academic culture and expectations of graduate study.

IAP and PSP commences on 16 January 2020 and concludes on 14 February 2020. The schedule will be provided to you when you arrive in Australia.

- Contact Details

Sponsored Students Team 
Tel: 02 6125 4581 or 02 6125 4843
Email: Sponsored.Students@anu.edu.au
Address:  Sponsored Students, Di Riddell Student Centre, Building 154 University Avenue, Acton ACT 2601


Australia Awards Crawford Team
Tel: 02 6125 3914 or  02 6125 5448
Email: nooraishah.zainuddin@anu.edu.au or lam.hua@anu.edu.au
Address: 132 Lennox Crossing, Acton ACT 2601

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