Foreign student boom could fill the resource export gap

More foreign students started courses in Australian universities, colleges and English schools in 2015 than any year in history, a huge rebound driven by the lower dollar, easier visas and a scheme that allows them to stay for 18 months after graduation, writes Tim Dodd for Australian Financial Review.

Nearly 147,000 students started courses in the first three months of this year, above the previous first quarter record of 142,400 reached in 2009 at the peak of the last education export boom. Universities and other higher education institutions also took their largest ever intake of new international students this year, with 61,493 starting courses in the first quarter.

Even as resource exports come under pressure, education exports grew 14% in the past year to be worth A$17.5 billion (US$13.6 billion) annually. Education is now Australia's third-largest export industry after iron ore and coal, and the largest service export. It is substantially larger than tourism, which is worth A$14.5 billion annually.
Full report on the Australian Financial Review site