Waivers in Queensland only for broke or disaster-struck

THE Queensland government has issued new guidelines on tuition fee exemptions for the children of international students.

MOST international students must be both broke and hit by unexpected crises such as illness or natural disasters before the Queensland government will let them off paying thousands of dollars to school their children.

New guidelines on the Queensland Education Department's policy and procedure register spell out the circumstances under which officials can exempt international students from tuition fees of up to $15,000 a year per child if their kids attend public schools.

The arrangements, which apply to undergraduate and vocational students and many postgraduates, mark the dismantling of what was one of Australia's most generous school fee exemption schemes for international students.

Waivers now apply only to the children of students on AusAID or defence scholarships and those of PhD research students, provided they don't receive foreign government scholarships covering their dependents.

All students face $10,635 a year for the preparatory year of schooling, which isn't considered compulsory in Queensland, after the government delayed its original plan to abolish waivers last year.

Under the new policy, waivers generally apply only if the parents can prove financial hardship and exceptional circumstances.

The financial hardship must threaten the family's capacity to provide food, accommodation, clothing, medical treatment or other necessities.

Exceptional circumstances must be unanticipated emergencies such as family violence, relationship breakdown or a "death of a significant wage earner in the family". Waivers generally apply for just one year at a time, it adds.

But senior officials ultimately have "absolute discretion" to waive fees under circumstances such as the parents being employed in "vital" occupations or child protection orders being applied to their children.

The changes reflect a trend for governments to exclude foreign students from public services or to slug them with extra costs.

Queensland and Victoria have drawn criticism for refusing to admit some international students to public hospitals, while Victoria has been denounced for refusing to grant them concession fares on public transport.

NSW recently introduced a "concession" for international students, but it only offers a 35 per cent discount on certain tickets.