What other fees do new students in other countries have to pay besides tuition?

In addition to tuition fees, new students at many universities in the US, Australia and Canada… also have to prepare many additional mandatory fees.

International students at an American university - Photo: BOSTON GLOBE

Tuoi Tre Online recently published an article reflecting that in addition to tuition fees, many Vietnamese universities collect a series of 'admission fees', making the total cost students have to pay on the first day of school too high.

In other countries, do new students have to pay other fees besides tuition?

Refer to the official information channels of schools in the US, Canada, Australia, some major fees that new students often have to pay extra to maintain student services, health insurance, facilities, public transportation, orientation programs or specialized uniforms...

USA: service fees, orientation, insurance and placement test

At the University of Florida (UF), students pay several fees in addition to tuition, called mandatory fees. These are the funds that support general student services.

Including: Activity & Service Fee 19.06 USD/credit (about 503,000 VND), Health Fee 15.81 USD/credit (417,000 VND) and Transportation Access Fee 9.44 USD/credit (249,000 VND).

Kennesaw State University applies a fixed mandatory fee package of $624/semester (16.46 million VND) that includes sports , health care, technology, transportation and student activities.

Many schools also charge an orientation fee – the cost of organizing a welcome week, academic advising, and community engagement activities. For example, the University of Washington - Seattle charges $451 for the 2025-2026 school year, while the University of Houston charges $150.

Student Health Insurance is generally required. The University of Delaware has announced Fall 2025 fees of $1,642.10 and Spring/Summer fees of $1,906.95.

Students may also have to pay a placement test fee to be placed at the correct level.

For example, Florida Atlantic University charges a fee for the ALEKS PPL Math exam, including a $20 platform fee and a $10 test center fee. If you take the exam online, it costs an additional $12.75 per attempt.

Additionally, many schools contract with public transportation systems, allowing students to travel for free or at low cost.

UC Berkeley charges a transportation card (Class Pass) fee of $105/semester (VND 2.77 million), while the University of Washington - Seattle charges a U-PASS fee of $73/quarter (VND 1.93 million).

Canada: Student Service Fees, U-Pass, and Industry Uniforms

At the University of Alberta, students in the 2025-2026 academic year will pay a health and dental service fee (Students' Union Health & Dental) of CAD 357/year (VND 6.84 million). This includes basic medical care, dentistry, and pharmaceuticals.

In addition, the transportation card fee (U-Pass) - used for Edmonton buses and trains - is 180 CAD for the Fall semester (3.45 million VND) and 185 CAD for the Winter semester (3.55 million VND).

In Ontario, international students must participate in UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan) health insurance at a rate of 66 CAD/month (1.27 million VND).

At McGill University (Québec), the international health insurance program for the Summer semester 2025 is 349 CAD (6.69 million VND).

Some majors require uniforms. The University of Windsor - Nursing requires nursing students to purchase a clinical uniform for $90 CAD each, usually requiring two sets for a total of $180 CAD. This is the standard attire for use in laboratories and practice hospitals.

International students studying in Australia - Photo: THE AUSTRALIAN

Australia: SSAF and OSHC insurance

In Australia, students are usually required to pay a Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF), which covers libraries, careers advice, sports and clubs.

According to government regulations, the SSAF ceiling in 2025 is 365 AUD/year (6.35 million VND). The University of Melbourne announced that international students are directly exempted from this amount, the school will compensate from the tuition budget.

In particular, international students are required to have OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) health insurance - a condition for being granted a subclass 500 visa. OSHC covers medical expenses during their time studying in Australia.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tan-sinh-vien-o-cac-nuoc-phai-dong-nhung-khoan-nao-ngoai-hoc-phi-20250917165719192.htm