OVERSEAS STUDENT
HEALTHCOVER (OSHC)
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
is insurance that covers basic medical
and hospital care that you may need
when you are in Australia.
You must have OSHC if you have, or want
to apply for, a student visa (see page 48)
and you can obtain it from any government-
approved OSHC provider.
OSHC only covers you from the time
you arrive in Australia and so you may
also need travel insurance while in transit.
You will learn more about the Australian
health system and health insurance during
Orientation or you can consult
.
gov.au
for more information.
OSHC by Allianz Global Assistance
UQ’s preferred OSHC provider is Allianz
Global Assistance (formerly OSHC
Worldcare) and the University can accept
payment on their behalf.
Your Letter of Offer will indicate the Allianz
Global Assistance OSHC fee for visa-length
cover of OSHC, and the program deposit
amount that is part of your tuition fee. When
you have paid the deposit and OSHC, and
signed and returned the Acceptance form,
your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) will be
issued. This will show that the OSHC has
been paid, which will satisfy the student visa
application requirements (see page 48).
OSHC Allianz Global Assistance prices
*Singles – Covers only the valid student visa holder.
MONTHS
SINGLE PREMIUM (AU$)*
FROM 1 JAN 2014
6
$309
12
$571
GENERALEXPENSES
Fortunately, Brisbane rates well on cost
of living indexes for Australian cities.
How much it will cost you to live in
Brisbane will depend partly on your lifestyle
preferences. As a guide, if you are living in
shared accommodation off-campus you
will pay approximately AU$23,030 per
calendar year. You will also need to consider
establishment costs (approximately AU$3085
if you live off-campus) when setting up
your accommodation, and other ongoing
living expenses such as public transport,
entertainment, telephone costs, textbooks,
photocopying, and clothing. Please check the
Expenses Guide opposite to determine what
costs to consider.
You will need personal access to a
computer and the Internet at UQ. Although
computers are available on campus, you
might want to bring a computer with you,
or purchase/hire one in Australia. Wireless
laptop connections are available on all
campuses and UQ provides basic access
to the Internet for study purposes. If your
Internet use is high you can purchase “top
up” access at a reasonable cost.
If you buy a car, costs can vary from
AU$5000 to AU$25,000 or more, and
running costs after purchase price are about
AU$100 per week: we strongly recommend
that you use public transport.
You also need to make allowances
for recreation, emergencies, and health
expenses not covered by OSHC.
Remember that exchange rate variations
may also affect your budget.
OSHC by Allianz Global Assistance
coverage (formerly OSHC Worldcare)
– 24-hour emergency assistance and
medical advice
– partial coverage of medical services
provided by doctors (general
practitioner services)
– partial coverage of medical services
such as pathology and radiology
– some prescription medicines
– emergency ambulance services.
Note that there is a waiting period for claims relating
to most pre-existing medical conditions and not all
medical claims are covered under OSHC (please check
for details at
Allianz Global Assistance is also the
preferred OSHC provider for UQ’s Institute
of Continuing & TESOL Education’s (ICTE-
UQ), and ICTE-UQ students can buy Allianz
Global Assistance OSHC insurance when
paying their tuition fees. See information
about OSHC cover for periods of less than a
year at
OSHC Allianz Global Assistance
Other government-approved OSHC
providers
UQ has no relationship with any other
government-approved OSHC providers and
so cannot accept payment from students
for any provider other than Allianz Global
Assistance. However, you can contact another
OSHC provider and insure with them directly,
e.g. British United Provident Association
(BUPA) Ltd
com
), Australian Health Management (AHM)
or Medibank Private
. You will need to
provide evidence of this cover before your
CoE can be issued.
EMPLOYMENT
OPTIONS
If you are residing in Australia on a
student dependant visa and want to
work, you must have a student visa that
includes permission to work.
Holders of a student visa can work up to
forty hours per fortnight (two weeks) while
their university program is in session, and
full-time during university vacations.
If, for any reason, your student visa is
issued without the right to work, you will
need to apply for a permission-to-work
student visa after commencing classes.
You will also need a Tax File Number before
undertaking work. You will hear more about
these issues during Orientation Week.
In general, you cannot realistically expect
to cover tuition fees or living expenses from
casual work.
If you are studying at UQ on a
scholarship, you should contact your
scholarship provider about how many hours
you are permitted to work each week.
Part-time work can be difficult to find and
there is much competition for these jobs.
Most available jobs are non-professional
and involve tasks such as waiting on tables,
cleaning, or sales.
40
UQ Guide 2015
Study Abroad and Incoming Exchange
