Student contribution amounts

If you are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP), the Australian Government pays some of your fees and you pay the remaining portion, this is called your 'student contribution amount'.

If you are enrolled in a CSP, you could get a HECS-HELP loan to cover your student contribution amount.

How much will I pay for my course?

Each unit of study is classified into a student contribution band, depending on the study area of the unit (this may be different from the study area of your course). The amount you pay for your unit of study is usually the maximum allowed by the Government for that band.

New student contribution amounts from 1 January 2023


New student contribution amounts in 2023
Funding Cluster	2023 maximum student contribution amount (per EFTSL)
Funding cluster 1: Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture	$15,142
Funding cluster 2: Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work	$4,124 $8,301
Funding cluster 3: Nursing, Indigenous and Foreign Languages Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science	$4,124 $8,301
Funding cluster 4: Agriculture Pathology Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science	$4,124 $8,301 $11,800

Continuing students who commenced before 1 January 2021

If you are a continuing student (who commenced before 1 January 2021) studying units in disciplines with increased student contribution amounts, you will continue paying the same amount (indexed each year) as you would have. These 'grandfathered' students contributions for 2023 are shown below.

Grandfathered student contribution bands In 2023
For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster	The 2023 maximum student contribution amount in respect of a grandfathered student (per EFTSL)
Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture	Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics or Commerce $11,857. Communications, Society and Culture $7,105.
Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work	Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics $4,124. Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment or Computing $8,301. Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work $7,105.
Nursing, Indigenous and Foreign Languages, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies Science	Nursing, Indigenous Language or Foreign Languages $4,124. Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science $8,301.
Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pathology	Agriculture $4,124. Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science $11,800. Pathology $8,301.

For 2022 student contribution amounts, please refer to the 2022 Indexed Rates available on the Department's website at the link: 2022 Indexed Rates - Department of Education, Australian Government (education.gov.au).

You can estimate the student contribution amount you have to pay for each of your units of study.

You will need to know the student contribution amount for the unit in which you are enrolled, and the equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) of your unit (this will likely be in your enrolment information or ask your provider if you don't know). If you are a continuing Commonwealth supported student, you will also need to know whether the unit is in a grandfathered discipline.

Your student contribution amount for a unit of study is estimated by:

(Student contribution amount) x (EFTSL value of unit) = the amount you have to pay

Note: eligible Commonwealth supported students can defer this payment with a HECS-HELP loan.