South Metropolitan TAFE

South Metropolitan TAFE is a public training college in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses south and east of the river and in Mandurah. Its own history page traces it through the former Challenger Institute to a 2016 TAFE reform, and it says it has over 30,000 students. It is one of the options in our guide to studying in Australia from Nepal and our list of colleges and TAFE in Australia.

This profile is for Nepali students considering South Metropolitan TAFE for a certificate, a diploma or an advanced diploma. It covers why students choose it, where its campuses are, what it costs, when courses start, work rights, scholarships and a few courses open to international students. The courses open to you, with level, length and campus, are in our South Metropolitan TAFE courses guide. Entry requirements, documents and the application steps are in our South Metropolitan TAFE admissions guide.

Why do Nepali students choose South Metropolitan TAFE?

South Metropolitan TAFE teaches hands-on certificates and diplomas in Perth, in areas such as nursing, IT, hospitality, cookery, engineering, early childhood and aged care.

• Practical training. The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery runs in a full commercial kitchen that supports an on-campus restaurant open to the public. The Advanced Diploma of Engineering (Mechanical) is taught at Munster, in a lab set up like an industrial plant.
• Courses after +2. The Certificate IV in Information Technology (Programming) asks for Year 12, then leads into a diploma. Many diplomas here need a certificate first, so read the study pathway on each course page.
• Placements and pathways. The Diploma of Nursing includes at least 400 hours of supervised placement, and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care includes at least 280. Some diplomas also have packaged pathways with credit into degrees at Curtin, Edith Cowan or Murdoch.
• The city. Most campuses are in Perth’s southern and eastern suburbs, not the city centre, so your campus decides where it makes sense to live. Check a bus or train route before you choose housing.

Where are South Metropolitan TAFE’s campuses?

TIWA lists 10 South Metropolitan TAFE campuses for international students, nine around Perth and one in Mandurah, and the campus depends on your course.

One thing is different from most colleges. TAFE International Western Australia (TIWA) is a unit of the state training department, and it is the registered training organisation and CRICOS provider for international students. South Metropolitan TAFE teaches your course on TIWA’s behalf, while TIWA admits you, issues your CoE and is responsible for your certificate.

We found no private partner college teaching these courses in Australia, and English courses come from separate partner colleges in Perth. The CRICOS provider code to check is TIWA’s, 00020G, and you can check it and your course’s code on the CRICOS register before you pay. See South Metropolitan TAFE’s campuses page for maps. South Metropolitan TAFE also has Armadale and Naval Base campuses, but TIWA’s campus list for international students doesn’t include them.

How much does South Metropolitan TAFE cost for international students?

TIWA publishes tuition for the whole course: one-semester courses here cost about AUD 6,300 to 9,400, and most two-semester courses about AUD 13,100 to 18,800.

That is roughly Rs 6 to 9 lakh for one semester, and Rs 12 to 17 lakh for two. To see what these amounts are worth today, use our AUD to Rs forex converter. A semester is about half a year. Each course page in TIWA’s course catalogue shows the fee for each campus, so confirm yours there, because fees are reviewed every year.

Some courses cost more. The three-semester Diploma of Nursing is about AUD 28,200 in tuition, roughly Rs 26 lakh, and the Certificate III in Carpentry is about the same over four semesters. A diploma that needs a certificate first costs both fees together. The Certificate IV in Hospitality and the Diploma of Hospitality Management add up to about AUD 25,300, roughly Rs 23 lakh.

Tuition doesn’t include books or materials. TIWA’s fees page adds resource fees and, for some courses, materials fees. These vary a lot: the Diploma of Nursing adds about AUD 7,000 in total, roughly Rs 6 lakh, and the Certificate III in Information Technology about AUD 210.

You pay tuition to TIWA before each semester, and the Letter of Offer gives your first payment. If your visa is refused before the course starts, TIWA’s refund policy says you get back all fees paid except AUD 313, about Rs 28,000. You must send the refusal notice and decision record. If you start studying while appealing a refusal, you lose that refund.

VET student visa applications from Nepal face tough assessment, so read our page on the Australia visa success rate from Nepal before you pay anything.

Living costs come on top. For the student visa, Home Affairs asks you to show AUD 29,710 for a year of living costs. You also show first-year tuition and AUD 2,000 for travel; the Australia student visa requirements page explains how. See the total cost to study in Australia and the cost of living in Australia for a full budget.

When are South Metropolitan TAFE’s intakes?

Most South Metropolitan TAFE courses start in February or July, and some start only once a year.

For students outside Australia, applications for the February start usually close in November, as shown on TIWA’s key dates page. It lists no separate closing date for July. Popular courses can fill up, and TIWA says places in engineering and nursing are limited. Intakes can close early, so check your course’s page.

The Diploma of Nursing, the Certificate III in Commercial Cookery and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care list both February and July. The Advanced Diploma of Apparel, Fashion and Textiles lists February only, and the Certificate III in Aquaculture lists July only.

Aim to apply 6 to 9 months before your start date, so there is time for the offer, the CoE, OSHC and your visa. TIWA says you normally need three to six months for the visa and travel alone. Orientation is about a week before classes, and you must arrive before your course starts.

If you track document dates in Bikram Sambat, our Nepali date converter turns B.S. dates into A.D. dates. For the full calendar, read our guide to Australia intakes.

Can you work while studying at South Metropolitan TAFE and after you graduate?

Yes. You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight in session and without a limit in official breaks, and some graduates can then get a 485 visa.

Our guide to working hours for students in Australia explains the fortnight rule, and Home Affairs sets the 485 rules:

• Diploma and trade graduates can look at the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, up to 18 months. The qualification must relate to an occupation on the skilled list, and you need a skills assessment.
• Age and fee: you must be 35 or under, and the fee starts from AUD 5,750.

No course gives you the visa automatically. Your study must be CRICOS registered and add up to at least 92 weeks. Many South Metropolitan TAFE courses run one or two semesters, so one short course won’t meet that alone.

The TIWA pages we read don’t say which courses qualify for a 485. Its work while you study page does warn that you should not rely on part-time income to pay tuition fees. Our Australia 485 visa page explains each stream, and PR courses in Australia explains why no course promises PR.

Which scholarships can Nepali students get at South Metropolitan TAFE?

South Metropolitan TAFE lists no scholarship for international students, but TIWA offers a AUD 5,000 regional bursary, and the Mandurah campus is on its list.

How the bursary works:

• Amount: AUD 5,000, about Rs 4.5 lakh, paid in two parts of AUD 2,500 or once in the second semester.
• Who can get it: Students on a student visa in an eligible study package at a regional TAFE campus. At South Metropolitan TAFE, TIWA names Commercial Cookery at Mandurah.
• What you have to do: Stay enrolled for at least a year and keep living in that regional area. You must meet your course fees without counting on the bursary.
• When: It is a limited-time offer, so check the current start years on TIWA’s page.

Details are on TIWA’s regional bursary page. The awards on South Metropolitan TAFE’s own scholarships page are industry schemes, and none says it is for international students. Our guide to scholarships in Australia for Nepali students lists other awards.

What do you need to get into South Metropolitan TAFE from Nepal?

TIWA asks for Nepal’s Grade 12 certificate with a 60% average, and IELTS 6.0 with no band under 5.5 for direct entry.

With no band under 5.0, TIWA packages your course with 10 weeks of English first, and nursing is stricter at IELTS 7.0 with writing at 6.5. Most courses list PTE Academic 50 with no band under 42 as the equal of IELTS 6.0 with no band under 5.0, on TIWA’s admission requirements page. To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator. Then compare with our page on requirements to study in Australia from Nepal.

South Metropolitan TAFE teaches VET courses, and VET student visa applications from Nepal face tough assessment. Recent Home Affairs data shows very few VET visas granted to applicants from Nepal; the visa success rate page linked in the cost section above has the data.

A +2 graduate choosing a diploma must explain why it fits their study and career plan under the Genuine Student requirement. If your marks are low, read about study in Australia after +2 with a low GPA.

What can you study at South Metropolitan TAFE?

South Metropolitan TAFE teaches Certificate III and IV courses, diplomas and advanced diplomas for international students, and no degrees.

The cards below are a selection, each read on TIWA’s own course pages. Areas include nursing, IT, hospitality, cookery, early childhood, aged care, community services, engineering, automotive, aviation and maritime. Registered nursing needs a bachelor’s, and a Diploma of Nursing leads to enrolled nurse. We found no Bachelor of Nursing package on TIWA’s pathways page.

South Metropolitan TAFE’s international page names accounting and business. However, TIWA’s pages for the Diploma of Accounting and the Diploma of Business show North Metropolitan TAFE only. Check this before you plan on those subjects.

For each type of course, see our guides to diploma courses in Australia, hospitality and tourism courses, information technology courses and nursing courses. Our guide to diploma vs bachelor’s in Australia after +2 compares the two routes, and our guide to nursing in Australia for Nepali students covers registration.

Program Details

Where do South Metropolitan TAFE students live?

South Metropolitan TAFE students use homestay, student housing or a private rental, and TIWA lists rooms at Murdoch University Village from AUD 240 a week.

That is about Rs 22,000 a week, and the village is one kilometre from the Murdoch campus. Student buildings in central Perth start from about AUD 294 to 424 a week, depending on the building and how many people share. Homestay is only in the metropolitan area, includes meals and bills, and must be booked at least two weeks ahead.

TIWA warns that housing in Western Australia is in high demand, and it suggests booking temporary housing or a four-week homestay first. It also says to arrive with at least AUD 1,000 and have access to another AUD 2,000 for your first few weeks. Prices change, so confirm them with each provider.

See TIWA’s housing page and our guide to student accommodation in Australia, and don’t travel before you have somewhere to stay.

Our counselors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara can look at your marks and budget with you. Get in touch with a Goreto branch if you want a second opinion on South Metropolitan TAFE.

Official South Metropolitan TAFE links

• International students at South Metropolitan TAFE
• How to apply through TIWA
• How to pay your fees
• TIWA on getting your student visa
• TAFE forms and policies
• Contact South Metropolitan TAFE

Frequently asked questions about South Metropolitan TAFE