THE University of Newcastle is partially waiving tuition fees for international students, to attract and retain them during COVID-19.
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UON Deputy Vice Chancellor Global Engagement and Partnerships, Professor Tony Travaglione, said it was important to support students to continue their studies.
"It is our duty of care to enable learning wherever our students are," Professor Travaglione said.
"UON implemented a Study from Home 20 per cent fee waiver scheme in 2020, to support students who had been impacted by international border closures and needed to continue their studies online.
"We opened this offer up to all returning and commencing international students currently located offshore and, pleasingly, we have seen conversion to enrolments at a higher rate than expected."
A UON spokeswoman said the scheme was not limited to any timeframe. She said UON had seen a 25 per cent decrease in overall international applications compared to this time last year.
She said UON would address the Herald's other questions about 2021 international enrolments after the March census date. Meanwhile, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Mark Hoffman said UON had seen an increase in enrolments in its domestic undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
"The biggest driver in our increase has come from school leavers [up 10.6 per cent]," he said.
"A number of factors may have influenced their decisions, including limited opportunities to take a gap year and travel, a growing attraction to regional areas and people valuing their communities. Many may have chosen to study now, and travel later when borders open up.
"Secondly, the university introduced a range of tools to support students when they were finishing their high school studies last year, and we got a really positive response."
The most popular Masters programs are Architecture, Mental Health Nursing, Midwifery, Teaching, Juris Doctor and Business Psychology.
He said the biggest increases in undergraduate enrolments were in Education and Psychology.
New degrees in Criminology and Business Analytics drew "a lot of interest".
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