Student contributions

How much do I contribute?

The cost of your education as a Commonwealth Supported Student is subsidised by the Australian Government. The Government pays part of the cost of your education directly to the universities and you, as a student, pay the Student Contribution.

From 2021: The Australian Government has made changes to student contribution bands by introducing the Job-ready Graduates Package.

Continuing students will not be disadvantaged by these changes. Students continuing studying the same program from 2020, in a Commonwealth supported place, will have their student contribution amounts grandfathered. From 1 January 2021, current students who enrol in courses where the student contribution has decreased will have these reduced amounts applied. New students or new programs from 2021 will be charged the new student contribution amounts.

Further information is available on the Study Assist website.

 

Student contribution amounts can be calculated per course, which is the equivalent to a 'Unit of Study' in Government publications. Courses are grouped into bands by their field of education. Each band can have a different student contribution amount up to a maximum set by the Australian Government. Not all courses in your program are necessarily in the same band.

 Your student contribution will be calculated based on the band of the course and on the load of the course, that is the equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL) value of the course.

The formula for calculating your contribution amount for a course is:

EFTSL1 value for the course x band amount

As an example:

NURS 2024 has an EFTSL1 value of 0.252 and is a Band 1 course with a Band amount for 2024 of $4,445

Therefore the student contribution amount you will be required to pay for this course is equal to:

0.25 X $4,445 = $1,111.003

The band and EFTSL information for each course is available to you on the course information page under Fees.

The new student contribution bands and amounts for 2024 are:

Band

Field of Education

1 EFTSL

0.125 EFTSL

1  

agriculture, english, mathematics, teaching, clinical psychology4, languages, nursing

$4,445

$555

2

(2&2A)

architecture, IT, other health, allied health, creative arts, engineering,  science, environmental studies, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4, clinical psychology4

$8,948

$1,118

3

dentistry, medicine, veterinary science

$12,720

$1,590

4

(4A,4C,4P, 4S&4Y)

law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4, clinical psychology4

$16,323

$2,040

The grandfathered student contribution amounts for 2024 are:

Band

Field of Education

1 EFTSL

0.125 EFTSL

agriculture, english, mathematics, teaching, clinical psychology4, languages, nursing

$4,445

$555

2

architecture, IT, other health, allied health, engineering,  science, environmental studies, clinical psychology4, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4

$8,948

$1,118

2A

creative arts

$7,659

$957

3

dentistry, medicine, veterinary science

$12,720

$1,590

4A

communications, society and culture

$7,659

$957

4C

law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce

$12,781

$1,597

4P

professional pathway psychology4

$7,659

$957

4S

professional pathway social work4

$7,659

$957

4Y

clinical psychology4

$7,659

$957


The student contribution bands and amounts for 2023 are:

Band

Field of Education

1 EFTSL

0.125 EFTSL

1  

agriculture, english, mathematics, teaching, clinical psychology4, languages, nursing

$4,124

$515

2

(2&2A)

architecture, IT, other health, allied health, creative arts, engineering,  science, environmental studies, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4, clinical psychology4

$8,301

$1,037

3

dentistry, medicine, veterinary science

$11,800

$1,475

4

(4A,4C,4P, 4S&4Y)

law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4, clinical psychology4

$15,142

$1,892

The grandfathered student contribution amounts for 2023 are:

Band

Field of Education

1 EFTSL

0.125 EFTSL

agriculture, english, mathematics, teaching, clinical psychology4, languages, nursing

$4,124

$515

2

architecture, IT, other health, allied health, engineering,  science, environmental studies, clinical psychology4, professional pathway psychology4, professional pathway social work4

$8,301

$1,037

2A

creative arts

$7,105

$888

3

dentistry, medicine, veterinary science

$11,800

$1,475

4A

communications, society and culture

$7,105

$888

4C

law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce

$11,857

$1,482

4P

professional pathway psychology4

$7,105

$888

4S

professional pathway social work4

$7,105

$888

4Y

clinical psychology4

$7,105

$888


For previous years, check the historical student contribution rates. 

How do I pay my student contribution?

The options available for paying your student contribution will depend on your eligibility for a HECS-HELP loan. This is a loan from the Government for all or part of your student contribution.

Other students must pay their student contribution up front by the census date of their enrolment study period or they will face cancellation of their enrolment for that period, by Government legislation. Please see the Information for Permanent Residents and New Zealand citizens page.

Can I make voluntary repayments?

Yes. You can make a voluntary repayment to the Tax Office at any time and for any amount. Making a voluntary repayment reduces your debt immediately. However, you may still have to make a compulsory repayment, if after making a voluntary repayment:

  • you still have an accumulated HELP debt
  • your repayment income is above the minimum repayment threshold. 

Voluntary repayments are in addition to compulsory repayments. They are not refundable.

For further information about voluntary payments visit the Study Assist website.

Can I change my payment option?

You can change your HECS-HELP payment option during your enrolment (on or before the census date for a course).

For example, if you previously chose to obtain a HECS-HELP loan but now wish to make an up front payment, there is no need to inform the university, simply make the payment to the University on or before the census date.

To obtain a HECS-HELP loan you must give your Tax File Number (TFN) to the University on or before the census date. You risk cancellation of your enrolment if you do not do this.


1 The EFTSL (Equivalent Full Time Student Load) value is a measure of the study load for a course, as a measure of the total required study load for a full year in undertaking your program on a full-time basis.

2 Please note all EFTSL values are published and calculated at ten decimal places. Values are displayed to three decimal places for ease of interpretation.

3 If the amount calculated consists of whole dollars and a number of cents, the amount will be rounded down to the nearest whole dollar.

4. Band determined by Program/Plan.