Studying abroad is a complex decision to make. I believe every international student has considered thoroughly before making the decision. However, some still consider transferring to another school for different reasons after starting their courses.
If you are thinking about transferring to another university, you may wonder about the procedures involved and the documents you need. This article will certainly give you a clearer understanding on transferring to another university in Australia as an international student.
1. Reasons for Transferring Institutions
There are different reasons why students may choose to transfer to another university or institution. Here are some of the most common ones:
- They do not like or enjoy the current course. The professions they aspire to pursue are not available at their current school.
- Discrepancy between their expectations and the actual school atmosphere.
- The current course curriculum is too challenging, making it difficult for them to catch up.
- They did not receive an offer from their desired school before coming to Australia, but after studying in Australia for a certain period, they now want to explore the possibility of transferring to their dream school.
- Considering immigration after studying and wanting to switch to a school and program that offers immigration advantages.
- Having friends studying at another school and wanting to attend school together.
2. School Transfer Process
Let’s briefly explain the process of transferring schools:
- First, submit an application to the new school based on your current educational background and wait to receive an offer from the new school.
- Use the offer from the new school to apply for a Release Letter from your current university. Generally, a Release Letter is required if the duration of your main course is less than 6 months. However, if the transfer occurs after 6 months of the main course, no Release Letter is needed. We will provide further explanation on the Release Letter later.
- Accept the offer from the new university, pay the tuition fees, and obtain a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from the new university.
- Assess whether a new visa application is required.
- Begin your new academic journey at the new school.
Feel free to contact us if you need any assistance with any of the steps.
3. Common Questions
Although the application process may seem straightforward and easy, students may still encounter different issues. Here are some of the common questions that students often have:
Q: Can I transfer to a university in another state?
A: There are no restrictions on the location for transferring to a different university.
Q: Can I switch to a completely different field of study?
A: It depends on the entry requirements of the program you wish to apply.
Q: Can I transfer credits?
A: Yes, but it depends on the availability of valid credits that can be transferred and the overlap in curriculum between the new and old programs.
Q: Which year will I start after transferring?
A: Australian universities follow a credit system rather than an academic year system. The duration of study after transferring depends on the outcome of the credit transfer.
Q: Can I apply for a lower-level course (reverse study)?
A: Theoretically, it is possible to transfer to a lower-level course, such as transferring from a bachelor’s degree to a VET program (which is common) or from a master’s degree to a bachelor’s degree (which is very rare).
Q: Can the tuition fees from the previous school be refunded?
A: Prepaid tuition fees or fees for the current semester that have not yet reached the census date can be refunded.
4. About Release Letter
When students inquire about transferring universities, our consultants usually ask them two questions:
- How many CoEs is the student visa currently link to? Is it a packaged course?
- How long have you been studying?
Based on these questions, we can determine whether a Release Letter is required in the university transfer process. The new school often requests a Release Letter from the original school when they issue a conditional offer to the student.
You will need a Release Letter:
If the duration of the main course at the original institution is less than 6 months, you may not have the freedom to transfer to another university.
Release Letter is not required:
If the duration of the main course at the original school exceeds 6 months, you generally have the freedom to transfer to another school without a Release Letter.
Main Course
It usually applies to package programs, such as a combination of Foundation + Bachelor or Graduate Certificate + Master courses. In such cases, you need to study the subsequent course for 6 months before you can transfer freely; otherwise, you need to apply for a Release Letter from the original school.
Does "exceeding 6 months" mean a semester?
No, it means a natural 6 calendar months. For instance, if you enrolled at the end of February and now you're considering transferring in July, you still need to apply for a Release Letter because you haven't completed 6 months of study.
Why do I have to apply for a release if the new school has already offered me a place?
This requirement is mandated by the Department of Home Affairs, which approves student visa applications, and the Department of Education. It is part of the PRISMS system that manages information for international students. During the release process, the original institution is required to log into PRISMS and follow instructions to release the student. Without the release, the new school cannot issue a CoE (Confirmation of Enrollment). After studying the main course for more than 6 months, PRISMS will automatically release the student’s information, so there’s no need to apply for a release letter.
So, how do you apply for a release letter? Is it 100% successful?
The release process generally follows a similar procedure across most institutions. As part of the process, you will need to fill out an official withdrawal form. Additionally, we strongly recommend students write a personal statement along with the form to convince the school to grant the Release Letter.
To be honest, the success rate for Release Letter applications is not high, and each university handles school transfers differently. Some schools may choose not to release students, while others may have a more open attitude. Due to the uncertainty of the Release Letter application, we advise students not to pay the tuition fees immediately upon receiving a new offer. It is important to first confirm whether you meet all the admission requirements before proceeding with payment.
Alternative Options
If you find the process of transferring universities with a release letter too complex, you may consider other alternative options that do not require obtaining a Release Letter:
- For students who commence their main course at the end of February, one alternative option is to apply to universities that start classes after the end of August, provided there are suitable courses available. If this is not feasible, the only option would be to apply for programs that commence in the following year.
- For students starting their main course at the end of July, they can apply for university transfer in the following year (around February) without a Release Letter.
Your new university or institution will only request a Release Letter after you have received an offer from them. Therefore, it is not necessary for you to worry too much about the difficulty of getting a Release Letter. The primary focus should be on securing an offer from your desired university. Upon receiving a new offer, you should still try to apply for a Release Letter (if you have only started the course for less than 6 months) to decide your next steps.
5. About Student Visa
A lot of students may wonder if they need to apply for a new student visa when they transfer to another university especially if they are planning to apply for the 485 post-study visa in the future.
It really depends on your situation.
If it is a regular transfer to a program of the same level (e.g. Bachelor to Bachelor; Master to Master), it depends on the length of the student visa. If the new program exceeds the duration of the current visa, an extension may be required. If you can graduate before your student visa expires, you might not need to take action and it will not affect your future 485 visa application.
If it involves reverse study, a new visa application is generally required, and the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement must be well-demonstrated.
Free Consultation & Application Services For International Students
If you are considering to transfer schools, please don't hesitate to contact AAS for help. We offer free consultation and university application services for international students.
At AAS, we are dedicated to helping our clients make informed decisions about studying in Australia.
Talk to us now![Read more about the article [🇦🇺2024 AU Migration Strategy] 3 Main Impacts on International Students](https://i0.wp.com/aaseducation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/van-tay-media-pc_HmXZ0e_w-unsplash.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1)
