First 20 Students Selected for Refugee Student Pathway!
An exceptional group of 20 refugee students is bound for Australia as part of the first intake of the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP)—a pilot program enabling refugee students to migrate permanently to Australia for tertiary education.
Skill Path Australia received nearly 2,000 applications for the RSSP from refugees in Malaysia, India, and Thailand in December. After a rigorous and competitive selection process—supported by Refugee Education Australia, universities, and community partners—20 outstanding students have accepted offers to be part of this groundbreaking initiative.
Selection Process
All students were screened against the program’s eligibility criteria, which required applicants to be 18–30 years old and registered with UNHCR. Eligible students were assessed based on their:
English proficiency
Grades and academic merit
Motivation and suitability for study in Australia in their chosen fields
Shortlisted students were each interviewed by a panel of experts including academics, community leaders, those with lived refugee experience and individuals working in the Australian refugee settlement sector. Interviewers scored each student on key criteria including academic merit, academic ambition, motivation, leadership potential, communication skills and English performance.
The highest scoring students were offered a place in the program.
About the Students
Interviewers were deeply impressed by the students’ resilience, academic drive, and strong English skills. Many overcame significant barriers to complete secondary schooling—some experienced interrupted education due to displacement, while others worked during the day and studied at night to afford their schooling.
Despite being eligible for university, many faced discriminatory laws that blocked them from enrolling in their host countries.
📢 What stood out? The students’ passion for learning and ambition for impact:
💬 “I just love physics!”
💬 “I love to tinker and build programs!”
💬 “I want to start a social impact business to help my community.”
💬 “I want to make a difference in the world.”
The first cohort includes students originally from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Somalia, Yemen, Palestine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 25% will pursue postgraduate studies, 75% undergraduate. Fields of study include high-demand sectors like nursing, STEM, and business.
Next steps
📍 Visa Arrangements: Skill Path is now securing student visas so that the cohort can relocate to Australia in late 2025 and begin their studies in early 2026.
🎓 University Placement: We are collaborating with the Australian Refugee Welcome University Consortium (chaired by Australian National University and comprising 17 universities) to match students with courses.
🤝 Student Support: We are working with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) to train Campus Support Groups at each university to welcome and support the incoming students.
💡 Looking Ahead: Given the program’s strong progress, we are now in discussions with the Australian Government about expanding the pilot for a second intake in late 2025!
