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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.
Additional eligibility requirements from 2022
Completion rate
From 1 January 2022, if you start a course or transfer into a new course, you must pass at least 50 per cent of the units you attempt (not including any units withdrawn before the census date) if you are:
- in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
- receiving assistance through a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan.
The pass rate applies once you complete eight units, regardless of credit point value. If you started your course before 2022, this requirement does not apply.
Find out more about the completion rate and how it affects you on the Study Asssist website.
Student learning entitlement
From 1 January 2022, the Goverment implemented the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). This is the amount of study you can undertake in a Commonwealth supported place.
The SLE means students can undertake a maximum of 7 years of full-time subsidised study (7 Equivalent Full Time Student Load or EFTSL) in a Commonwealth supported place. This is calculated from 1 January 2022.
Find out more about how the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) works.
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. Grandfathered rates apply to students who meet the grandfathering criteria as defined by the Australian Government.
Find out more about the proposed changes to higher education funding.
Student contribution amounts for 2022 are available below.
*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 ($3,985).
This gives you the total student contribution payable for that unit of study. For example, 0.125 x $3,985 is $498.
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.
Last updated: 29 April 2022
