It’s important to consider how much it will cost to study at university. Your first degree will be an ‘undergraduate’ degree, such as a Bachelor degree, Associate Degree, or a university Diploma.

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

A CSP is a place at university where the Government pays for some of your course, and you pay the rest. This is called the student contribution amount.

You are entitled to a CSP at university or a higher education institute if you are:

• An Australian Citizen - residing in Australia for at least one unit of study contributing towards their course of study
• A New Zealand Citizen - residing in Australia for the duration of their study.
• A permanent visa holder - residing in Australia for the duration of their study.
• The course has Commonwealth Supported Places.

Student contribution amount

How much you owe for your university subjects and course will vary based on

• the course discipline you are studying
• if you are studying at a Government funded university or a private institute

Student contribution bands

Courses fall into discipline ‘bands’. This means that no matter where you study in Australia, CSP courses will cost roughly the same. The following are the 2021 minimum bands:

Band 1 - $3950 per year

Agriculture, English, mathematics, education, clinical psychology, Indigenous and foreign languages, nursing, statistics etc

Band 2 - $7950 per year

Other health, allied health, built environment, computing, engineering, surveying, science, environmental studies, pathology, visual and performing arts, professional pathway psychology, professional pathway social work.

Band 3 - $11,300 per year

Dentistry, medicine, veterinary science.

Band 4 - $14,500 per year

Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture.

HECS-HELP Loan

CSP students can apply for a HECS-HELP loan providing they meet residency eligibility criteria. This loan will enable you to defer your payments until you have to start paying back your student contribution amount.

You can make voluntary repayments at any time.

Fee Paying Places

Some private institutes offer fee paying places for undergraduate courses.

Students don’t receive Government subsidies and are required to pay the full fee amount. They can apply for FEE-HELP and defer their payments.

Very important information

From 2022, If you begin your enrolment with a public or private university and apply for a CSP, HECS-HELP or FEE HELP, you must have passed at least 50 per cent of your total attempted units (subjects) in order to remain eligible for any of these schemes.

Key website for information

Study Assist - www.studyassist.gov.au