What you pay

Student Contributions
Commonwealth contributions
Student contribution ranges 
Calculating your student contribution amount
No tax deduction on student contributions
Further information 


Student 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 though 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 direct to your provider for your Commonwealth supported place.

The Commonwealth contribution amounts are provided in Table 1: Commonwealth contribution amount per EFTSL for 2008 and Table 4: Commonwealth contribution amount per EFTSL for 2009

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 
 

Exemption: You do not have to pay a student contribution amount if you are an 'exempt student'.  Ask your provider for further information.
You need to contact a provider for its student contribution amounts. 

The student contribution bands and ranges for 2008 are provided in Table 2.  Student contribution bands and ranges for pre 2005 HECS students are provided in Table 3.  Student contribution bands and ranges for 2009 are provided in Table 5.

Table 1:  2008 Commonwealth contribution amounts per EFTSL

Student contribution bands and ranges 

Tables 2 and 3 below give the ranges within which providers may set student contributions for units of study in 2008.

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 'psychology' and some that are classified as 'education'.  Therefore, your provider can set your student contribution for the psychology units up to the maximum for band 1 and for the education units up to the maximum for the national priorities band.

You will need to contact your provider to find out your student contribution amount for the unit in which you are enrolling.


Table 2: 2008 Student contribution bands and ranges for students commencing on or after 1 January 2008

Table 3:  2008 Student contribution bands and ranges for pre-2005 HECS students

Table 4: 2009 Commonwealth contribution amounts per EFTSL

 

Funding cluster	2009 Commonwealth contributions
Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce	$1,709
Humanities	$4,743
Mathematics#, statistics#, behavioural science, social studies, education*, computing, built environment, other health	$8,389
Clinical psychology, allied health, foreign languages, visual and performing arts	$10,317
Nursing*	$11,517
Engineering, science#, surveying	$14,664
Dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, agriculture	$18,610

 

*Funding cluster rates for nursing and education includes amounts for nursing clinical placement and teacher practicum.

#The Australian Government also provides an additional $3,250 per EFTSL (in 2009) for mathematics, statistics and science units for students who are covered by the lower contribution amounts introduced in 2009.