Photo: heraldsun.com.au

The discount is available to international full time undergraduate and eligible VET students who attend a participating institution. Funding in this week’s State Budget extends the 50 per cent public transport discount through the iUse pass to the end of 2018.

Making students feel welcome and  ensuring they have a good experience during their stay in Victoria is crucial to the international education sector, which is Victoria’s biggest service export supporting more than 30,000 jobs.

More than 175,000 students from around the world came to study in Melbourne last year having been attracted by the high quality of our education institutions and the liveability of our multicultural state.

The extension of the travel discount will make the transition to Victoria smoother for students and lessen the financial burden of getting around. The 50 per cent discount on annual public transport tickets is the same discount available to local students in Victoria.

The iUse pass scheme was launched as a three year trial in 2015 and is delivered in partnership with educational institutions – 21 of which are currently participating in the program, including Victoria’s top universities.

The Government covers 25 per cent of the student’s travel expenses  while the student’s institution, if it’s a participant in the initiative, funds an additional 25 per cent.

The discount is one of the many reasons that around a third of all international students who come to Australia choose Victoria over other states, with no discount available in New South Wales.