Introducing the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP) – Australia’s new complementary education pathway
What is it?
The Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP) is a ground-breaking new educational complementary pathway for refugees in Australia. The pathway builds on the momentum of other existing complementary pathways including the Community Refugee Settlement and Integration Pilot (CRISP) and the Skilled Refugee Labour Mobility Pilot.
Drawing on Canada’s successful Student Refugee Program, led by the World University of Canada (WUSC). Specifically, the RSSP will be a peer-to-peer model that will encourage university students and staff to play an active role supporting young refugees to pursue their education in Australia.
The RSSP will offer refugees who are currently displaced in the Asia Pacific (specifically, Malaysia, Thailand, and India) a pathway to resettlement via a university program, with preference for courses that respond to key skills gaps in Australia, such as:
As a member of the Global Task Force on Third Country Educational Pathways, Refugee Education Australia is a strong advocate for the expansion of complementary educational pathways, and the announcement of the pilot is testament to our vigorous advocacy and practice in this area.
Who has been involved in co-design?
Refugee Education Australia has been working with the Department of Home Affairs, Skill Path Australia, Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia, and the higher education sector – represented by The Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC) – to co-design, develop, and deliver the RSSP in 2025, with our first students due to commence their studies in Semester 1, 2026.
Our co-design partners include UNHCR, the Refugee Council of Australia, Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network, the Settlement Council of Australia, Amnesty International, SSI, Duolingo, English Australia, International Education Association of Australia, Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia, Universities Australia, the Australian Refugee Advisory Panel, and many more!
What will it achieve?
The Refugee Student Settlement Pathway has the potential to:
- Create new resettlement opportunities for Australia and engage new communities in refugee protection, such as universities, staff, and students, through a whole-of-society approach to refugee settlement.
- Provide hope and a future for young refugees and allow them to pursue their educational goals in safety.
- Create greater public awareness and support for refugees as more stakeholders in the education sector become involved in refugee resettlement.
- Enable universities in Australia to build upon their expertise of working with students to meet the needs of refugee youth and enhance their employment outcomes after graduation — with the potential to contribute to local skills gaps and professional shortages.
What will the RSSP look like?
Which universities are involved?
The RSSP created under the leadership of the Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (ARWUSC), a group of 16 universities chaired by the Australian National University. The following universities are members of the ARWUSC:
Streams
There are two RSSP streams that students can apply for:
Postgraduate stream: For students who have completed a Bachelor’s Degree and have their degree certificates and transcripts available. This stream is also available to students who are part way through a
postgraduate course of study.
Undergraduate stream: For students who have completed Secondary School (Year 11 and 12) or an equivalent program (such as the GED) and have their graduation certificate and results. This stream is also available to students who are currently part way through an undergraduate course of study.
Who can apply?
To be eligible for the pilot you must:
- Be registered with UNHCR.
- Live in Malaysia, India or Thailand.
- Be 18-30 years of age.
- Have completed Secondary School (Year 11 and 12) or an equivalent
program. - Not have already completed a master’s of doctorate degree.
- Be able to study and communicate competently in English (minimum
requirements depend on course). - Be willing to travel to Australia for the program alone, without family
members. - Meet additional academic criteria requirements relevant to course (we
will advise you of additional requirements if you are shortlisted for the
program).
How to apply
- Apply here: https://skillpath.fillout.com/RSSP
- You must have a valid email address to access the application form.
- You can complete the form in multiple sittings
- After submitting the form you will be emailed a link which you can use to update/edit the form before the deadline.
Deadline to complete submission: 5pm AEDT, 29 December 2024.
Want more information?
For more information about the ARWUSC or the RSSP, please email contactus@refugee-education.org.
For more information about applying for RSSP, please email apply@skillpath.org.au