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Tuition fees
- Overview
- Commonwealth supported place
- Fee paying
- Higher degree by research - Research Training Program
Commonwealth supported place
Most commencing domestic undergraduate students are offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP).
This means that your course fees are subsidised by the Australian Government and you pay the remainder as a ‘student contribution’.
To be eligible for a CSP currently you need to:
- be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent visa
- meet the relevant citizenship and residency requirements.
If you are a New Zealand citizen, a permanent visa holder or a permanent humanitarian visa holder, you need to be in Australia for the duration of your study to be eligible for a CSP, as set out in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (part 3-2, 90-5).
Eligibility criteria and legislation can change. See the Study Assist website for details.
How much will I pay?
Your student contribution will depend on your units of study and the amount charged for each.
The Government groups different areas of study into ‘bands’ and then sets a minimum and maximum amount that can be charged for each. The University then sets the student contribution amount for each band within this range, as seen in the table below.
The Australian Government’s Job-ready Graduates Higher Education Reform Package passed Parliament on 19 October 2020. The package changes the student contribution bands for new students who enrol with a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) after 1 January 2021. The changes include ‘grandfathering’ arrangements for Commonwealth supported students who commenced their courses before 1 January 2021. Find out more about the proposed changes to higher education funding
Student contribution amounts for 2021 are available below.
| Area of study | 2020 Cost |
|---|---|
| Band 1 Humanities, behavioural science, social studies, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, clinical psychology, education, nursing |
$6,684 |
| Band 2 Mathematics, statistics, computing, built environment, other health, allied health, science, engineering, surveying, agriculture |
$9,527 |
Band 3 |
$11,155 |
The cost shown is the annual student contribution amount for an equivalent full-time student load (48 credit points) within each band.
This maximum student contribution amount applies to students who commence their course of study on or after 1 January 2010, regardless of the course of study. Students who commenced their course of study prior to 1 January 2010 will be subject to the previous national priority maximum student contribution amount (indexed). In 2020 this amount is $5,348.
| Area of study | 2021 Student Contribution Amount (per EFTSL) |
|---|---|
| Band 1 Humanities, behavioural science, social studies, education, clinical psychology, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, nursing |
$6,804 |
| Band 2 Computing, built environment, other health, allied health, engineering, surveying, agriculture, mathematics, statistics, science |
$9,698 |
Band 3 |
$11,355 |
*excludes Professional Pathway Social Work, Professional Pathway Psychology and Postgraduate Clinical Psychology
Estimate your fees
You can estimate your student contribution by using the amounts in the table to calculate the cost of each unit of study you’re enrolled in.
For each unit of study:
- Express the unit as a fraction of 1 EFTSL. For example, one six-credit-point unit of study will be 6 over 48 (or 0.125).
- Multiply the fraction by the student contribution amount for the relevant band. For example, an arts unit of study worth 0.125 would be multiplied by the Band 1 student contribution ($3,950).
This gives you the total student contribution payable for that unit of study. For example, 0.125 x $3,950 is $493.
Remember, if you’re taking units of study across multiple faculties, you will most likely need to use multiple student contribution bands.
Visit Study Assist for more information about your student contribution amount.
Double degrees and combined degrees
For Commonwealth supported students enrolling in a double or combined degree, your student contribution amounts for the postgraduate degree may be higher than the undergraduate degree, depending on the area of study. Some combined programs also have a difference between the fees for each degree in the program. When you are calculating the likely total cost of your course please carefully factor in this price difference.
Check the tuition fees for your specific course in Find a course.
Commonwealth support form and HECS-HELP
If you are enrolling in a Commonwealth supported place, you need to complete and submit a Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form by the relevant census date.
If you don’t submit this form, your enrolment as a Commonwealth supported student will be cancelled.
Most Commonwealth assistance forms are provided to you during the online enrolment process. You can also access these forms through Sydney Student (go to 'My finance', 'Your finances', then 'Government forms').
If you’re enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place, you will either pay your student contribution up front or if eligible, defer all or part of your contribution through HECS-HELP.
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Last updated: 20 August 2021
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