The Victorian Government has thrown its weight behind a new plan to grow international education, with 16 universities and TAFEs awarded grants to deliver Australian courses abroad. The move, part of the “Yes to International Students Fund”, signals a push not just to welcome overseas students to Melbourne’s laneways and lecture halls, but to take Victoria’s classrooms offshore.
Announcing the initiative at William Angliss Institute, Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Danny Pearson said the $5 million in seed funding would help local institutions expand their global reach through transnational education. That means more Victorian-led degrees delivered overseas—either via new campuses or through partnerships with international institutions.
Pearson didn’t hold back on the broader message. “We are backing international students because they drive jobs and the economy,” he said. “As Australia’s education state, we stand against student caps and with our universities and TAFEs.”
It’s a clear shot at the Federal Government, which has faced growing criticism over plans to limit international student numbers as part of its migration strategy. For Victoria, where education exports once topped $15.9 billion a year, those caps are seen as a handbrake on both growth and reputation.
The state’s offer to the world is ambitious: new courses, bilingual resources, student exchanges and offshore delivery models, from Ho Chi Minh City to Colombo. Each project is designed to do two things at once — boost Victoria’s international standing while supporting the local economy at home.
William Angliss Institute, which already trains over 3,000 international students in Melbourne, is using its grant to expand into Vietnam. CEO Grant Dreher said the funding would help “build a scalable, sustainable model” for overseas education, with pathways that eventually lead students to Victorian campuses. “This support allows us to take William Angliss Institute beyond borders,” he said.
La Trobe University, another grant recipient, is targeting Southeast Asia with study tours, connections to Victorian startups, and a pilot program in Thailand focusing on business and IT. Other institutions on the list include Monash, RMIT, Melbourne Uni, Deakin and Victoria University—alongside major TAFEs like Box Hill, Holmesglen and Bendigo Kangan.
The push comes at a time when Victoria’s visitor economy is rebounding, fuelled in part by international students and education-linked tourism. According to the latest figures from Tourism Research Australia, the sector delivered $40 billion in 2023–24 and supported 288,800 jobs, with hospitality, retail and accommodation reaping the bulk of that activity.
Education, in short, is a major export. And the Victorian Government is banking on the idea that taking that export offshore, rather than limiting it through domestic restrictions, is the smarter path forward.
The Yes to International Students Fund is one of several measures funded through the state’s Economic Growth Statement. In the upcoming Budget, a further $18.6 million has been earmarked to support the broader international education sector. That includes student support services, industry engagement, and programs designed to keep Melbourne attractive to global learners.
Minister for Skills and TAFE Gayle Tierney said the program was “about backing our world-class universities and TAFEs to take Victorian education to the world.” Her comments reinforce a shift in tone: the state doesn’t just want students to come here, it wants its education system to have global roots.
While the core idea of transnational education isn’t new, this round of funding is unusual in its scale and intent. Some providers are building entirely new strategies for overseas expansion. Others are developing learning resources tailored to different languages and markets. Several will focus on teacher training, ensuring offshore delivery meets local standards.
The target countries are China, India, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. They reflect both traditional markets for Australian education and regions with growing middle classes eager for global qualifications. For some institutions, the model may resemble a hub-and-spoke approach: regional partners deliver early-stage courses, with the final year or postgraduate component completed in Victoria.
What sets this initiative apart is its dual promise: Victoria strengthens its place in the international education economy while local communities continue to benefit from jobs, spending and cultural ties that come with a thriving student population.
Critics of transnational education often point to concerns about quality control, academic standards or regulatory mismatches. But the institutions funded under this program are public, established providers with existing global connections and track records. The grants aim to help them scale these relationships responsibly, not replicate fast-and-loose expansion models.
The government’s move also carries a political edge. With debates over migration and infrastructure pressure dominating headlines, student caps have emerged as a flashpoint. By tying international education to economic recovery, job creation and Victoria’s global brand, the Allan Government is staking a different position from Canberra.
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