TAFE SA

TAFE SA is a government-backed college in South Australia, and its About page calls it the state’s largest vocational education and training provider. It teaches from entry-level certificates up to bachelor’s degrees. 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 TAFE SA for a certificate, a diploma, an associate degree or a bachelor’s. 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 TAFE SA courses guide. Entry requirements, documents and the application steps are in our TAFE SA admissions guide.

Why do Nepali students choose TAFE SA?

TAFE SA offers hands-on certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in IT, hospitality, nursing, early childhood and engineering, all taught for international students in Adelaide.

• Practical training. The Certificate III in Commercial Cookery includes 200 hours of work placement. TAFE SA’s work placements page says placements run from 36 to 965 hours by course, are not usually paid, and that it finds or helps you find one.
• Courses after +2. From Nepal you need Year 12 even for a Certificate III. Some diplomas take you straight from +2, such as the Diploma of Marketing and Communication. Others need a certificate first, including the IT diplomas.
• University pathways. TAFE SA’s University Packaged Programs let you accept a joint offer with a South Australian university, on one visa for both courses. Partners named there include Adelaide University and Flinders University.
• The city. TAFE SA says Adelaide costs less to live in than other mainland capitals, but it publishes no rent figure. Compare it in our guide to the best cities in Australia for Nepali students.

Where are TAFE SA’s campuses?

TAFE SA lists six campuses for international students, all around Adelaide, and most IT and hospitality courses run at Adelaide City or Regency.

The campus addresses come from TAFE SA’s International Students Welcome Guide. We found no partner-run campus teaching TAFE SA courses in Australia. Its global engagement page names one overseas arrangement, in Sri Lanka, and none in Nepal.

TAFE SA’s CRICOS provider code is 00092B. Check that code and your course’s code on the CRICOS register before you pay. Each course page names its campus, so confirm yours there before you look for housing.

How much does TAFE SA cost for international students?

TAFE SA publishes a total fee for each course: one-year diplomas cost about AUD 15,020 to 22,060, and its three-year bachelor’s about AUD 54,455.

That is roughly Rs 14 to 20 lakh for a one-year diploma and Rs 49 lakh for the bachelor’s. To see what these amounts are worth today, use our AUD to Rs forex converter. TAFE SA’s course list with fees shows the latest published fee for each course. It says fees are reviewed each year and can rise while you study.

Other courses cost less or more. Certificates are about AUD 8,130 to 22,215. Two-year associate degrees are about AUD 42,880, roughly Rs 39 lakh. The Diploma of Nursing is about AUD 38,175, roughly Rs 35 lakh, plus about AUD 1,500 for checks, vaccinations and uniforms.

Short diplomas can mislead. The Diploma of Hospitality Management is about AUD 6,065 for 26 weeks, but it needs a Certificate III and IV first, so add those fees together. Many courses also add incidental costs, such as a AUD 550 placement fee on cookery, so check the course page.

You pay your first semester before TAFE SA issues your CoE, as its fees page explains. If your visa is refused before you start, its refund policy gives 100% back less a AUD 240 administration fee, with proof of the refusal. If you withdraw for other reasons, the refund falls as the start date gets closer.

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 TAFE SA’s intakes?

Most TAFE SA courses start in January and July, and a few have their own pattern, such as April and October for the Diploma of Community Services.

The Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care lists January only. English courses have their own start dates. We found no single closing date on the pages we read. TAFE SA does warn that the Diploma of Nursing gets a large number of applications, so a place may not be available in every intake.

Aim to apply 6 to 9 months before your start date, so there is time for the offer, the CoE, OSHC and your visa. TAFE SA gives you 8 weeks to accept an offer. Orientation comes first once you arrive, so plan to land in time for it.

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 TAFE SA 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. TAFE SA’s student visa page adds that you can’t start working before your course starts. Home Affairs sets the 485 rules:

• Degree graduates can look at the Post-Higher Education Work stream, usually 2 to 3 years. TAFE SA has one bachelor’s for international students.
• 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.
• For both streams 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 TAFE SA courses run 26 to 52 weeks, so one short course won’t meet that alone.

TAFE SA says little about the 485 itself. Its Adelaide page mentions post-study work experience in general terms only. The Associate Degree in Civil and Structural Engineering (Design Drafting) page says graduates can apply for a migration skills assessment by Engineers Australia. An associate degree isn’t a bachelor’s, so check which stream fits you with Home Affairs.

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 TAFE SA?

TAFE SA lists two awards for new international students: AUD 2,000 off tuition for study of two years or more, and AUD 500 relocation help for shorter study.

How they work:

• Amount: AUD 2,000, about Rs 1.8 lakh, as a tuition credit in two parts, or AUD 500, about Rs 45,000, paid to you after you start.
• Who can get it: Brand new international students, with one scholarship per student. The shorter award needs at least one full semester of enrolment.
• What you have to do: Nothing extra, as selection is automatic if you meet the conditions. Places go first come, first served, and TAFE SA tells you at offer stage.
• When: Each round has cut-off dates for accepting your offer and for starting, so ask TAFE SA whether a round covers your intake. Don’t count on it when you work out the funds you show for your visa.

If you lose the visa or leave before finishing, you lose the award, as TAFE SA’s scholarships page explains. That page also lists 10% to 25% awards at Adelaide University for students moving on to a degree. Our guide to scholarships in Australia for Nepali students lists other awards.

What do you need to get into TAFE SA from Nepal?

TAFE SA asks Nepali applicants for Grade 12 with 60% in their top 4 subjects, and most courses ask for IELTS 6.0 with no band under 5.0.

The 60% rule applies at every course level. Associate degrees and the bachelor’s ask for IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in all bands, early childhood asks for 6.5, and the Diploma of Nursing asks for 7.0. Requirements for each test are on TAFE SA’s entry 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.

Most TAFE SA courses are 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. TAFE SA’s associate degrees and bachelor’s are higher education courses, not VET, but the visa isn’t easy for them either. If your marks are low, read about study in Australia after +2 with a low GPA.

What can you study at TAFE SA?

TAFE SA teaches certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, associate degrees and one bachelor’s, in areas such as IT, hospitality, nursing, early childhood, community services and engineering.

The cards below are a selection, each read on TAFE SA’s own course pages. Registered nursing needs a bachelor’s, and a Diploma of Nursing leads to enrolled nurse. TAFE SA says a University Packaged Program with Adelaide University is available for that diploma. Its Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering asks for Year 12 Maths, or a Certificate III in Engineering first.

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. Our guide to nursing in Australia for Nepali students covers registration.

Program Details

Where do TAFE SA students live?

TAFE SA students use homestay, student residences, Regency International House or a rental, and TAFE SA publishes no rent figure of its own.

A homestay means living with a local family, usually with a furnished room and most meals. Regency International House is on the Regency campus, with four students to a villa. Student residences include Unilodge and Scape. In a rental you sign a lease and usually pay a bond of four weeks’ rent.

TAFE SA accepts students from age 17, and under-18s need approved welfare arrangements. See TAFE SA’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 TAFE SA.

Official TAFE SA links

• International students at TAFE SA
• How to apply
• International student support
• English Language Centre
• Higher education courses
• Genuine Student and living expenses guidelines

Frequently asked questions about TAFE SA