EAL, ELICOS and what your child actually needs
What would these schools cost for your child?
Two acronyms decide how an international student starts school in Australia, and families
routinely confuse them. One is a support program that runs alongside normal classes. The other
is a full-time English course that happens before school starts. Which one applies
changes your timeline by up to a year, and your budget by tens of thousands of dollars.
EAL: support inside the school day
EAL — English as an Additional Language — is in-school support for students
who can already follow a mainstream timetable but need help with academic English. It usually
looks like a specialist teacher, a smaller class for English, or targeted help with essay
structure and subject vocabulary.
EAL is normally included in tuition. In Victoria a student can also sit EAL instead of
mainstream English for the VCE, which many families find takes real pressure off Year 12.
- Runs alongside normal classes — no delay to enrolment
- Almost always included in the tuition fee
- Available at the large majority of schools that take international students
ELICOS: a course you finish before you start
ELICOS — English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students — is a
separate, full-time English course taken before mainstream entry. It is for students
whose English is not yet strong enough to follow classes in English.
It is charged by the week, typically A$400–A$550, and schools assess the
required length after seeing an English test result — which means it is often confirmed late
in the application.
| Starting level | Typical ELICOS length | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Near mainstream standard | 0–10 weeks | Up to A$5,500 |
| Intermediate | 10–20 weeks | A$5,500 – A$11,000 |
| Elementary | 20–40 weeks | A$11,000 – A$22,000 |
Indicative mid-range figures across Venn partner schools for the 2026 intake. Individual schools vary widely — always ask for a written total for your child’s year level.
Why the difference matters so much
A family planning a February start whose child needs 20 weeks of ELICOS is not starting in
February. They are starting mid-year, and the enrolment offer, visa timing and boarding
placement all shift with it.
The single most common planning mistake we see is budgeting for tuition and
boarding, then discovering in month three that 20 weeks of ELICOS sits in front of it.
How schools decide
Most schools ask for AEAS, IELTS or an equivalent internal assessment. There is no national
standard, so the same student can be told “direct entry” by one school and “20 weeks ELICOS” by
another. It is worth testing early and applying to a shortlist rather than a single school.
- Sit an English assessment 12–18 months before your intended start
- Send the result to every school on your shortlist, not just your first choice
- Ask each school, in writing, for the ELICOS length and cost implied by that result
- Rebuild your timeline around the longest requirement, not the shortest
What Venn shows you
Each school profile flags EAL support and whether the school runs or partners with an ELICOS
provider. Tell us your child’s English level in the questionnaire and schools with the support
your child actually needs score higher — see
what international school fees
actually cost for how this fits the wider budget.
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EAL, ELICOS and what your child actually needs
