Your safety
We want you to feel safe and secure while you’re studying in Australia – on and off campus.
We know how important it is to feel secure when you move to a new country. Navigating a new set of social customs and laws can be challenging. Hopefully you never need urgent help while you’re a Federation student, but it’s always good to be prepared.
Staying safe
An emergency is a critical incident that requires urgent assistance. For example:
- a missing person
- a fatality or serious injury
- a traffic accident
- an assault or domestic violence
- fire, explosion or natural disaster
- threats
- substance abuse issues.
If you’re involved in a critical incident, call 000 for emergency services (ambulance, police or fire) or 1800 333 732 if you need campus security.
If you need to report a crime but it’s not urgent (for example, a stolen car), visit your local police station or give an account online. If you need medical attention but it’s not life-threatening, call your local GP (doctor) or visit an urgent care clinic.
Our hotline is for non-urgent issues and advice, such as:
- how to report a crime
- how to find after-hours medical care
- rental problems
- what to do if you need to return home urgently
- your rights as a worker.
Call for assistance any time on (03) 5327 6665.
If you need general support during business hours, you can also contact International Student Advisory on (03) 5327 9446 or isa@federation.edu.au.
Scammers will try to trick people into transferring money or giving out personal details. They know how to look and sound genuine, and they can be difficult to spot.
Common scams
- Fee discounts: Scammers offer fake discounts on tuition if you pay them instead of Federation.
- QR codes: Scammers make QR codes that lead people to fake websites set up to steal information.
- Bank emails: Scammers pretend to be from the bank and ask for personal information or money.
- Blackmail: Scammers claim that they have compromising images of you and demand money to delete them.
- Chinese Authority scam: Scammers pretending to be police, government officials or delivery services may try to pressure you into sending money with false claims about visa problems, identity theft or criminal activity. Learn more.
Protect yourself
- Only pay your fees directly to Federation.
- Be cautious when making any large payments.
- If anyone contacts you claiming to be from Federation or the Australian Government, call the official number of the organisation to verify the information.
- Be wary of big discounts, vague contact details and unusual payment requests.
Find more news and advice about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au, download the Little Black Book of Scams or complete the Consumer Affairs Victoria's Scams Quiz.
Need help?
If you're not sure whether something is a scam, contact International Student Advisory on (03) 5327 9446 or isa@federation.edu.au. If you think you might have been scammed, inform the police in person or online. You can also report the matter to Consumer Affairs Victoria via their report a scam webpage. Let us know as well – contact Student Finance on 1800 333 864 or our counselling service on (03) 5327 9470.
If you’re planning a trip to the beach, preparation is key. Explore our Water Safety Hub to find out how you can avoid danger and feel confident in and around the ocean (as well as lakes, rivers and swimming pools).
You can find information about how to disclose or report issues, where to find support, University policies, student training and initiatives around safety on our Safer Communities website.
International Student Essentials program
Before your start, you'll need to do the International Student Essentials program. It's a visa requirement and you can find it on Moodle.
It includes tips for living and and studying in Australia, including your rights and responsibilities and how to stay safe. It takes about an hour to complete.