Join a Student Welcome Group

Welcome refugee students arriving at your university in 2027!

Turn empathy into action

Help refugee students settle and study in Australia in 2027

Student Welcome Groups are forming at campuses across the country to welcome refugee students arriving through the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway.

These volunteer groups of students, staff, alumni, and community members provide friendship, practical support, and a warm welcome to incoming refugee students as they begin their university journey in Australia.

What’s involved

Refugee students arriving to study in Australia through the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway are each matched with a Student Welcome Group at their campus.

Student Welcome Groups are groups of five or more students and staff who collect students from the airport, help them settle into accommodation, and begin a year-long journey of support and friendship.

What you'll gain

Global connections: Meet talented students from around the world
Real-world experience: Learn about refugee resettlement firsthand
Leadership skills: Develop cultural competency and coordination abilities
Recognition: Certificate of participation and professional reference from Skill Path Australia
Community: Join a network of volunteers making a real difference

Read the role description

Info Sessions

Attend an information session with the Skill Path Australia team to find out more about joining a Student Welcome Group. Click on the date to register:

Deakin and Melbourne University Student Welcome Group members at Melbourne airport welcoming RSSP students in January, 2026

What started as offering practical support has become genuine friendship, not only with the RSSP students but with the other volunteers too. Despite our different backgrounds, we share so much common ground: the excitement of starting university, the challenge of leaving home, and the comfort we find in making new connections along the way.
— Jane Kennedy, co-lead, Deakin Student Welcome Group

FAQs

Some of the ways that Student Welcome Groups support incoming refugee students include:
- Arrival and orientation: Meeting students at the airport and taking them to accommodation, showing them around.
- Essential services: Helping students to register for government services and other entitlements, as well as navigating various services from setting up a bank account to finding a GP.
- Academic support: Connecting students to key campus supports including academic assistance and career guidance.
- Social integration: Introduce students to friends, family networks, campus clubs and societies, and community networks including diaspora and faith communities.
- Practical support: Assist with finding part-time work, securing long-term accommodation, sourcing furniture and household goods, plus optional fundraising for arrival needs.
Any current students, university staff or alumni of any university in Australia can apply. If we are not yet working with your university we may need to put your application on hold until we have signed them up! Please do apply though as we are signing up new universities all the time!
You must be willing to work with people from all backgrounds with an inclusive attitude.
These universities are already planning to take RSSP students in 2027:

Australian National University
Curtin University of Technology
Deakin University
Swinburne University of Technology
The University of Melbourne
The University of Queensland
The University of Sydney
University of New South Wales
University of Technology Sydney
Western Sydney University

In addition, we are particularly interested in recruiting group members from these prospective universities:

Adelaide University
Australian Catholic University
Edith Cowan University
Monash University
Murdoch University
Queensland University of Technology
University of Canberra
The University of Newcastle
University of Tasmania
The University of Western Australia
Student Welcome Group members are required:
- Complete training: You must complete a self-paced online training program (2 hrs approx) and an in-person or online training with your group ahead of your student’s arrival
- Duration: 12 months from when your student arrives
- Time: Approximately 1-2 hours per week (busier at first, tapering over time)
- Other requirements: Police check, commitment to the group's code of conduct, and in-person availability on campus
Each group is led by a Lead or Co-Lead. This role is key to ensuring the group is coordinated and works effectively. You can express interest in becoming a lead or co-lead when applying for membership.
Lead role description