Help Build an Education Bridge for Refugees
Join Australia's leading universities in providing life-changing education pathways for refugee students
Sumaia and Jasmine, both landed in Australia and studying at University of Sydney thanks to the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway.
Australian universities helping refugees access higher education
The Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC) is a coalition of 22 Australian universities committed to creating life-changing educational opportunities for refugee students.
Chaired by the Australian National University, ARWUSC brings together public universities from across Australia to collaborate on refugee access to tertiary education.
Consortium members are working in partnership with Skill Path to co-design and deliver the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway.
Together, ARWUSC and Skill Path are building a sustainable model that enables talented refugee young people displaced overseas to pursue their education dreams and build new futures in Australia.
Photo above: Sonal Singh, Co-Lead of the Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC) and RSSP focal point for University Technology Sydney, awaiting arrival of Alina, RSSP student studying at UTS in 2026.
Dar Dar and Elma arriving in Australia to study at The University of Melbourne and The University of Queensland respectively, late 2025.
About the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway
The Refugee Student Settlement Pathway is a pioneering education initiative that offers young refugees living displaced overseas a unique opportunity to migrate to Australia, pursue tertiary education, and settle permanently through a humanitarian immigration pathway.
Students arrive on permanent humanitarian visas making them eligible for Commonwealth Supported Places and HECS-HELP loans. These students do not pay international student fees.
Eight universities have already partnered with Skill Path to welcome the first cohort of 20 refugee students in 2026: Australian National University, Curtin University, Deakin University, University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, and Western Sydney University.
In addition to these pioneering universities accepting students in the first cohort, the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway is supported by a wider network of universities participating in the Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium.
Who are the students?
The students in the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway are exceptional young people who have demonstrated remarkable resilience and academic achievement despite facing displacement, persecution, and limited educational opportunities.
Meet students like:
Beheshta, who fled Afghanistan and is now pursuing a Master of Nursing at the University of Queensland
Umar, separated from his family since age 11 to access education in Malaysia, who became the first in his family to complete high school—now studying Engineering at Deakin
Sandra who fled the Democratic Republic of Congo and is studying a Bachelor of Health Science at Deakin University, with a dream of becoming a nurse
Members of Deakin University’s Student Welcome Group at Melbourne airport awaiting the arrival of students through the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway
What's involved for universities?
Skill Path works collaboratively with its university partners to deliver the program.
Skill Path assists with the shortlisting of candidates, coordinating with the Department of Home Affairs for visa processing, travel logistics and mobilising Student Welcome Groups.
Our university partners provide students with settlement assistance that can include accommodation near campus, a start-up stipend and funding for study essentials like laptops and course books.
Together with our university partners and other groups, we ensure the students also have access to support networks such as mental health and wellbeing services, academic networks and peer social groups.
The impact
This is more than education - it's about building Australia's future workforce across a range of industries and sectors. This includes professions like nursing, engineering and teaching, as well as other areas with strong industry demand and projected national skills shortage.
Participating universities
So far Skill Path Australia has partnered with the eight world-leading Australian universities below to admit students through the RSSP. Skill Path is continuing to sign up more universities to accept students for mid-year 2026 and semester 1, 2027.
Be the next institution to join the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway to provide an education lifeline to a talented refugee student.
Interested in partnering with Skill Path for the next intake? Please contact us and we’ll arrange an information session to discuss your university's capacity, answer questions, and explore how we can work together.