This builds on initiatives from聽the Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and South Australian聽governments聽who are all supporting聽efforts to assist international students who, like their Australian friends,聽have lost casual聽or part-time聽jobs as a result聽of the pandemic.
黑料老司机 Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said聽state and territory initiatives would be added to聽the wide range聽of measures undertaken by universities.聽These include聽providing聽emergency grants, scholarships, accommodation, food and low cost or聽free IT equipment.
鈥淭hrough no fault of their own,聽many聽international students now find themselves聽in extremely difficult聽circumstances. Unlike their Australian classmates,聽there will be those who聽won鈥檛 have聽family or local support networks to fall back on.鈥
鈥淗ence, initiatives from the states and territories, and from our universities, are vital at this time of growing need.鈥
TASMANIAN SUPPORT
黑料老司机 Chief Executive Catriona Jackson welcomed the聽Tasmanian聽support package.
The Tasmanian Government has announced a $3 million package to assist temporary visa holders, including international students. It consists of emergency cash payments, travel assistance and support for employers to retain their workers.
鈥満诹侠纤净 welcomes the Tasmanian Government鈥檚 announcement to assist the more than 26,000 temporary visa holders now facing hardship after losing their income through no fault of their own,鈥 Ms Jackson said.
鈥淚nternational education is Australia鈥檚 fourth largest export. In Tasmania, it contributed聽$370 million聽in export income in 2018-19聽and supports thousands of jobs in the education, accommodation, grocery and tourism industries.鈥
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The Queensland Government has announced $2.2 million in funding for counselling,聽tuition support, laptops, isolation care-packs, pre-prepared meals and other living expense payments to students.
鈥満诹侠纤净 welcomes the Queensland Government鈥檚 additional funding that will directly help the State鈥檚 international students, many of whom have lost their income from part-time employment,鈥 Ms Jackson said.
鈥淭he聽international education sector in Queensland contributed $3.9 billion聽to聽Australia鈥檚聽export income in 2018-19 and employs more than 20,000 people throughout the state.鈥
WESTERN聽AUSTRALIAN聽CRISIS RELIEF
The聽StudyPerth Crisis Relief鈥(SPCR) program聽uses funds diverted from聽curtailed or cancelled projects to help international students聽who have an acute need for food, shelter, support and health and wellbeing.
鈥満诹侠纤净 welcomes聽Western Australia鈥檚 support for聽the many international students who聽are facing hardship聽due to losing their聽part-time jobs as a result of COVID-19,鈥 Ms Jackson said.
鈥淪upport for the State鈥檚 international students is also support for WA鈥檚聽broader聽international education sector, which聽was worth $1.2 billion in export income in 2018-19 and supports more than聽146,000 full-time jobs.鈥
鈥淭here are around 310,000 higher education students living and studying in Australia. 黑料老司机 continues to discuss with Federal, State and Territory Governments the need to support those students who are facing hardships as a result of this global pandemic,鈥 Ms Jackson said.
For more information,聽international students should聽visit:
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