An Australian university stops accepting Vietnamese students from 5 provinces and cities?

The coastal city of Wollongong, Australia where the University of Wollongong is located

In August, many study abroad companies that are partners of the University of Wollongong (UOW, located in New South Wales, Australia) received notice of some important updates related to the genuine student assessment (GS) process of this unit for the Vietnamese market, or more simply, changes in the way of reviewing applications. The decision takes effect from August 15 until further notice.

Accordingly, while still accepting students from other provinces and cities in Vietnam, UOW and its affiliated college (UOWC) will stop accepting applications from students from five provinces and cities identified as high risk: Hai Phong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Hai Duong.

UOW and UOWC will also not offer English language study pathways combined with professional courses for Vietnamese students in general, except for those from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang. And the school can consider GS right at the stage when the candidate receives a conditional offer of admission, if the condition is related to academics, such as waiting for a grade 12 transcript or a university degree, to speed up the student's application process.

As one of the units that received the above notice, Master Lu Thi Hong Nham, Director of Duc Anh Study Abroad Consulting and Translation Company, spoke with Thanh Nien reporter on October 20, affirming that although the regulation of stopping accepting students from 5 provinces and cities of UOW has been officially applied, it is not for all. Because, the school still reserves places for students from the 5 provinces and cities mentioned above if you have good academic results, sufficient and transparent finances, and serious intention to study...

Just last week, a student from the central region of the company was granted a student visa, even though the student registered for a university preparatory course, which is more difficult to apply for than direct university admission. “We know that no school will reject excellent students, so what we care most about is whether they are truly qualified to study in Australia, regardless of their hometown,” Ms. Nham shared.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2024-2025 (UK), UOW is ranked 12th in Australia, tied for 167th in the world. The school currently has 458 undergraduate programs and 157 postgraduate programs, according to QS.

UOW's move comes as Australia has recently tightened many regulations related to student visas and post-graduation work rights, and most recently proposed a cap on enrollment from early 2025. This has caused confusion for many parents and students, but according to study abroad experts, this is a step to protect and enhance the learning experience for international students who truly want to come to Australia to study.

“In essence, Australia ‘tightens’ regulations for candidates who are not serious enough but opens up many opportunities for qualified candidates to study abroad, not making it difficult for everyone. In fact, Australia strongly encourages serious international students to come to this country, demonstrated by simplifying paperwork for international students, and even having many types of visas that encourage them to stay and work after graduation,” Ms. Nham analyzed.

Therefore, the female director commented that the recent changes of the Australian government are good and positive. To ensure admission to Australian schools, especially to top educational institutions, Ms. Nham also advised Vietnamese students to study well, prepare well in both foreign languages ​​and finances, especially financial transparency; and confidently complete their study abroad applications because the competition is not difficult because many students are not serious and do not meet the requirements and have withdrawn.

Previously, the New South Wales Department of Education also announced in March that it would stop accepting Vietnamese students from four provinces of Quang Binh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Quang Ninh to study at public secondary schools. Speaking to Thanh Nien in mid-September, a representative from the New South Wales Department of Education said that this regulation would still apply until further notice.

According to statistics from the Australian Department of Education, by July 2024, there were 793,335 international students studying courses in Australia. Of these, Vietnam had 36,221 people, ranking 5th. At leading universities, the number of Vietnamese students and researchers accounts for a significant proportion, about 600 people at the University of Melbourne, 400 people at the University of Adelaide, or in the top 10 in terms of the number of international students at the University of Queensland...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mot-dh-hang-dau-uc-dung-nhan-hoc-sinh-viet-nam-tu-5-tinh-thanh-18524101813382598.htm