Universities will foot the bill for international students to return to NSW within weeks, with 250 students to arrive each fortnight on charter flights before quarantining in special accommodation.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced the long-awaited rescue plan for the $14 billion international education sector on Thursday, with final Commonwealth approval expected in days.
Mr Perrottet said the plan had been signed off by NSW Health and NSW Police and would operate in the same way as the existing quarantine system but the state would not pick up any of the costs.
Students from a range of countries, determined by the universities, will quarantine in purpose-built student accommodation once they arrive in Sydney, likely to be close to the city.
The pilot program is expected to start within six weeks and will be scaled up by the end of the year to 500 students each fortnight.