"I know that Australia had an interesting history in past centuries, and the people today are quite friendly," the year 12 student said via email.

Tony is one of about 140 offshore students studying the ACT senior secondary certificate.

Seven schools across Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Fiji and China offer the course - an attractive proposition for students keen to study at an Australian university.

Participants of the program graduate with an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, and some universities allow students to enrol without sitting the tough language tests usually required of international applicants.

Pi, a peer of Tony's at the Australian Curriculum Centre, chose to study the ACT curriculum in part to bolster his chances of attending the Australian National University.

"I chose to study in the ACT Senior Secondary certificate because I did not fit with the ordinary China high school life," he said.

"I need more freedom. Also, I want to go to a marvellous university to study and make my dream of being a biochemist come true."

The ACT's Board of Senior Secondary Studies hopes to more than double its share of offshore students by 2021 by expanding its college program by an additional 200 people.

BSSS director John Stenhouse said offering the ACT senior secondary certificate offshore helped boost Canberra's reputation as "a good international citizen".

Schools pay several hundred dollars to enrol their students in the program, which helps cover costs associated with the curriculum, software and assessment support, he said.

"Promoting that intercultural understanding is so important in a global society and a global economy," Mr Stenhouse said.

"It certainly hasn't been the main intention of it to be a revenue source but it does have the potential to become a larger revenue source as time goes on ... We're just one of many jurisdictions getting involved in international education."

International students have been studying the ACT college curriculum since 1989. Several students from the Australian International School in Bali, also contacted via email, spoke of their joy at learning about Australia, including the national anthem, political scene and culinary offerings.

"Honestly, it allows for a very culturally diverse and well rounded education," Ana, in year 12, said.

"I am not from either Australia or Indonesia (the country I live in) so it allows me to get absorbed in the cultures of both those countries and attain a much broader perspective on the world."

There are challenges too. Pi, from the Australian Curriculum Centre, said while he had enjoyed following the ACT curriculum, studying in English had proven sometimes difficult.

"What I have enjoyed were kind and helpful teachers and the chance to study knowledge with freedom and interesting activities," he said.

Pi and Tony visited the ACT with their classmates earlier this year, where they toured the ANU and Canberra College, met with Mr Stenhouse and played a game of frisbee.

"It's a very inclusive country where people who are of different cultures live in that place harmoniously," Pi said.

Tony added: "By the way, I really enjoy fish and chips, but I am not really good at playing the frisbee game."