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Student phone plans in Australia
Save on your monthly expenses with our picks for the best student mobile plans.
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Best mobile plans for students
When you're a student, getting value for your limited money is very important. Fortunately, data these days isn't too expensive, so you can get a solid 20-30GB a month for $30 or less.
- Best phone plan for students: TPG 40GB for $15
- Best cheap mobile plan for students: iiNet 25GB for $15
- Best high data mobile plan: Amaysim 50GB for $30
How did we choose our best picks?
333
Mobile plans compared
45
Mobile providers
3
Expert picks
We take these factors into account when choosing our winners:
- Price per month (and whether promotional pricing is involved)
- Data allowance
- Plan length
- Other notable features such as data banking, network coverage and international inclusions
Keep in mind: Our best picks may not be the best for you. Always compare your options and choose the one that best suits what you're looking for.
Best student phone plan:
TPG Super Value Large 40GB $29.99 1 Month
SIM-only - PrepaidYou might know TPG as an Internet provider, but did you know they also do mobile plans? TPG's 40GB plan is perfect for students who want data at a lower price point.
Be aware that it's only $15 a month for the first 3 months, then $29.99 a month from your 7th month onwards. So if you're not willing to pay the full price after, you'll need to switch prepaid plans.
- 40GB per month
- Unlimited calls & texts
Vodafone network - $15 per month
Runner up for best plan:
iiNet 4G $29.99 SIM Only Plan
SIM-only - PrepaidWe picked iiNet as the next best plan that offers 25GB of data a month for students.
Keep in mind that the price is only for the first six months. It then reverts to $29.99 a month from your seventh month onwards. So if the full price does not suit your budget, you'll need to look for another prepaid plan.
- 25GB per month
- Unlimited calls & texts
Optus network - $15 per month
Best cheap mobile plan for students:
TPG Super Value Small 8GB $19.99 1 Month
SIM-only - PrepaidWe had to sneak another TPG plan here since they're pretty great 3 month deals. If you're not looking for a lot of data because you either don't use your phone a lot, or you're usually connected to Wi-Fi, this plan is a steal!
You'll get 8GB for just $10 on this plan. To compare, most $10 prepaid plans give you less than 1GB to use a month. Remember though, the price is only for the first 3 months, so you'll need to pay $19.99 a month from your 4th month onwards.
- 8GB per month
- Unlimited calls & texts
Vodafone network - $10 per month
Next best cheap plan:
Lycamobile Prepaid 5GB $20 28 Days
SIM-only - PrepaidLycamobile might not be a big provider, but its plan definitely offers a great value this month. If you sign up before January 31, it's $5 for the first 28 days, then $20 per 28 days on your second recharge onwards.
You can get 8GB data in the plan and make calls without any worry with unlimited calls and texts.
- 8GB per 28 days
- Unlimited calls & texts
Telstra network - $20 per 28 days
Best high data mobile plan:
amaysim 4G Prepaid SIM-only 30GB $30 28 Days
SIM-only - Prepaidamaysim's prepaid plan offers great long-term value, unlike other prepaid plans around this price point which come with promotional pricing or data terms attached. amaysim keeps it simple - get 30GB + 20GB bonus data on your first three recharges for just $9 on your first renewal until 31 January 2021.
- 50GB per 28 days
- Unlimited calls & texts
Optus network - $30 per 28 days
What is a good phone plan for students?
A good phone plan depends on what you're planning to use your phone for, be it work, entertainment or study.
Did you know? A 2019 Finder survey found that 21% of gen Z members had faced an unexpectedly high phone bill in the last 12 months.
It's important to figure what to look at when you're comparing plans to find the best one. To help you out, we've broken down four things to consider, other than cost, when picking the right plan for you.
Provider discounts aimed specifically at students aren't super common, but they might be a better, cheaper option for you. We've summarised all the student discounts available for Aussie students further down the page.
Circles.Life 100GB for $38 SIM-Only Plan
Over 20% off for 12 months - pay $30 for 100GB of data per month. Plan reverts to $38 for 100GB per month after 12 months. T&Cs apply.Compare cheap phone plans for students
Is budgeting your main concern? The student discounts offered by the big 3 providers might not be the best value plans out there. There's no need to splash out on a fancy mobile plan when there are plenty of good, cheap options on the market. Even if you spend most of your time glued to your campus or home Wi-Fi, these $20 and under plans will give you a fair chunk of data to meet your on-the-go needs.
If you want to take advantage of a deal or special, go for one that lasts longer than a month so it doesn't fizzle out right away.
Which phone companies offer student discounts?
Right now, student phone deals are only being offered by the three biggest telcos: Optus, Vodafone and Telstra. We've listed them below, but keep in mind that just because they're discounts, doesn't mean they'll be your best option. Smaller MVNOs might still have more competitively priced plans, however, these discounted plans from the big three will have plenty of bonus features that you won't find elsewhere.
Vodafone student plans
Vodafone has joined forces with student deal organisation UNiDAYS to create some student-exclusive deals and discounts. By registering your student ID with UNiDAYS, you'll be available to view student discounts from Vodafone.
Vodafone's current student discount is on its SIM-only Lite plan, where you can save $5/month for the first 12 months.
These deals are constantly changing, so keep checking Vodafone's student portal for the latest deals.
On top of student benefits, Vodafone's SIM-only plans provide "endless data", where you can continue using data past your monthly limit at 1.5Mbps to 25Mbps for free, plus get 12 months of Amazon Prime.
Optus student plans
As long as you have a valid student email, Optus will give you a 10% discount on its more expensive SIM-only plans for the first 12 months. As well as that, you'll receive the usual Optus extras, including data sharing between plans on the same account and access to exclusive Premier League live content streaming.
Optus's 10% discount is valid for the below plans, but you'll need to sign up to these plans via its Student Hub to grab the discount:
Telstra student plans
Register your student email and get 10% off of Telstra's entire range of SIM-only plans for the first 12 months. On top of that, you'll benefit from Telstra's many included extras: potential 5G access, "endless data", a 3-month BINGE subscription, Telstra Plus rewards and access to the Telstra Air national Wi-Fi network.
You can take a look at Telstra's full range of SIM-only plans in the table below. Remember, you'll only get the student discount if you register with your student email.
FAQs about student phone plans
Can students get a phone contract?
You can sign onto a contract as a student once you hit 18, but you won't get a discount. All three of the big telcos exclude device repayment plans from their student discounts. If you want to go on a phone contract with no discount and you're under 18, it will have to be in your parent or guardian's name.
Can I get a student discount on a new phone?
No. Your best bet is to buy your new handset outright and then invest in a separate, high-value SIM-only plan, which you can get a discount on. This way, you'll still enjoy a bit of a discount that you wouldn't get if you got your phone on a contract.
Phone plans for students: An overview
| Provider | Mobile plan | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| TPG Mobile | Super Value Large Plan 25GB | $15 |
| Optus | Prepaid Epic Data Plan 35GB | $30 |
| Catch | 15GB Prepaid Plan | $20 |
| TPG Mobile | Super Value Small Plan 6GB | $10 |
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Ask an Expert
I have shifted to Brisbane yesterday and as a international student I am looking for best plan for myself within a budget. I want unlimited international and national calls with good data pack.
Hello Aishwarya,
Thank you for inquiry today. :)
You are on the right page! Use our comparison table and follow these steps:
1. Click the (+) sign of Modify Results Tab.
2. Choose if you want to take a phone or just a sim.
3. Select your provider.
4. Adjust your usage based on price, calls, messages and data.
The suggestions below will be adjusted based on your preferences. You may click “Go to Site” green button of your chosen provider to proceed with your application.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jonathan