Check with your academic and financial aid advisors if you are still in school to determine what aid may be available. Also identify how and if credits will transfer over to an Australian school or U.S.-based school with an Australian campus. If available, check with your study abroad department. Its advisers will be able to guide you through a variety of options for study Down Under.
Contact major universities with established exchange programs or presences in the country, if a program is not available through your home institution. For example, Boston University's Australia program combines coursework and a professional internship. Classes include an exploration of quirky Aussie films, Australian history and mass media.
Explore Australian universities, as opposed to state-side programs, particularly if you are able and interested in study that is longer than one semester or one academic year. If you graduate with a degree from an Australian university, you will be a more attractive candidate for a long-term residency in the country after graduation. Financial aid may be more difficult to come by; however, Australian universities are much more affordable than American ones. On average, such institutions cost $15,000 per academic year.
Contact AustraLearn, a Colorado-based provider of programs to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. It walks you through opportunities for higher education, including semester, academic year or full degree programs. AustraLearn will also help you obtain federal funding and explore other financing options.
Check and double-check with both your host and home institutions about credit transfers, once you find a program that is both academically and economically feasible. That way there are no ugly surprises when you return home.
