What you pay Contributions Student Contributions Commonwealth contributions Student contribution ranges  Calculating your student contribution amount No tax deduction on student contributions Further information  Contributions If you are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported unit of study, you will generally be required to contribute to the cost of your education through a student contribution. The Australian Government also makes a contribution towards your education by paying an amount for your enrolment though the Commonwealth Grant Scheme (CGS). This is called the Commonwealth contribution and it is paid directly to your provider for your Commonwealth supported place. The Commonwealth contribution amounts for 2010 are provided in Table 1. Student contributions Each provider sets its own student contribution amount for each Commonwealth supported unit of study, so student contributions may vary between providers. The student contribution amount must not exceed the maximum stated in the Higher Education Support Act 2003   You need to contact a provider for its student contribution amounts.  The student contribution bands and ranges for 2010 are provided in Table 2. Top Commonwealth contributions The amount the Australian Government contributes depends on the funding cluster in which the unit of study is classified and on the weight of the unit in your course of study (the equivalent full-time student load [EFTSL] value of the unit). This amount is paid directly to your higher education provider.   Table 1 shows the Commonwealth contribution amounts for one EFTSL in 2010 (these amounts are indexed each year).  Table 1: 2010 Commonwealth contribution amounts per EFTSL   Funding cluster 2010 Commonwealth contributions Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce $1,765 Humanities $4,901 Mathematics#, statistics#, behavioural science, social studies, computing, built environment, other health           $8,670 Education* Clinical psychology, allied health, foreign languages, visual and performing arts $9,020 $10,662 Nursing* $11,903 Engineering, science#, surveying $15,156 Dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, agriculture                                     $19,235 *Funding cluster rates for nursing and education includes amounts for nursing clinical placement and teacher practicum. #The Australian Government also provides an additional $3,318 per EFTSL (in 2010) for mathematics, statistics and science units for students who are covered by the lower contribution amounts introduced in 2009.   Top   Student contribution bands and ranges  Table 2 below gives the ranges within which providers may set student contributions for units of study in 2010. Note: Not all units in a given course of study fall within the same contribution band. For example, if you are enrolled in a Bachelor of Education, you may undertake some units of study that are classified as 'computing' and some that are classified as 'education'. Therefore, in 2010 as a new student your provider can set your student contribution for the computing units up to the maximum for Band 2 and for the education units up to the maximum for Band 1. You will need to contact your provider to find out your student contribution amount for the unit in which you are enrolling.   Table 2: 2010 Student contribution bands and ranges     Student contribution band 2010 Student contribution range (per EFTSL) Band 3 Law, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, accounting, administration, economics, commerce (see note 1)  $0 – $8,859 Band 2 Computing, built environment, health, engineering, surveying, agriculture $0 – $7,567 Band 1 Humanities, behavioural science, social studies, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, education, nursing (see note 2) $0 – $5,310 National priorities Mathematics, statistics and science (see note 3)    $0 – $4,249      Notes 1. If you are a 'pre-2008' student the maximum student contribution amount per EFTSL in 2010 for a unit of study in accounting, administration, economics and commerce is $7,567 (indexed for later years). Further information may be found here.   2. If you are a 'pre-2010' student the maximum student contribution amount per EFTSL in 2010 for a unit of study in education and nursing is $4,249 (indexed for later years).   3. If you commenced your course of study before 1 January 2009 (and are not covered by the course transfer arrangements described below), your provider may charge you up to the maximum student contribution amount for Band 2 for units of study in mathematics, statistics and science that applies to students who commence in 2009 onwards rather than the maximum for the National Priorities Band. In 2010 the Band 2 maximum is $7,657 (indexed for later years).   If you commenced a course of study that is not a natural and physical science course of study before 1 January 2009 and transfer to a natural and physical science course of study you may be charged a student contribution amount up to the maximum of the National Priorities Band, which is $4,249 (indexed for later years). Mathematics, statistics and science courses of study are courses of study classified to the natural and physical sciences field of education. Top Calculating your student contribution amount Your student contribution amount for a unit of study is based on the student contribution amount set by your provider, and the equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) value of the unit. See also:Glossary-EFTSL Your student contribution amount for a unit of study is calculated as: Student contribution amount = Student contribution set by provider x EFTSL value of unit Example: Susie has enrolled in History A01 as part of her Bachelor of Arts. Her provider has set the student contribution for history units at $5,000 per EFTSL. The EFTSL value for History A01 is 0.125. Susie’s student contribution amount for History A01 is $625 ($5,000 x 0.125).   Top No tax deduction on student contributions You cannot claim your student contribution payments as a tax deduction. Top Further information You can obtain further information on the student contributions set by your provider from your provider’s website or the schedule on this website. See also: Provider - tuition costs   Return to the Top of the page