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 direct to your provider for your Commonwealth supported place.
The Commonwealth contribution amounts for 2009 are provided in Table 1.
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 2009 are provided in Table 2.
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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 direct to your higher education provider.
Table1 shows the Commonwealth contribution amounts for one EFTSL in 2009 (these amounts are indexed each year).
Table 1: 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.
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Student contribution bands and ranges
Table 2 below gives the ranges within which providers may set student contributions for units of study in 2009.
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: 2009 Student contribution bands and ranges
|
Student contribution band |
2009 Student contribution range
(per EFTSL)
|
|
Band 3
Law, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, accounting, administration, economics, commerce (see note 1) |
$0 – $8,677 |
|
Band 2
Computing, built environment, health, engineering, surveying, agriculture |
$0 – $7,412 |
|
Band 1
Humanities, behavioural science, social studies, foreign languages, visual and performing arts |
$0 – $5,201 |
|
National priorities
Education, nursing
Mathematics, statistics and science (see note 2) |
$0 – $4,162 |
Notes:
- Providers may now set student contributions for accounting, administration, economics and commerce units to the same maximum amount as for units of study in law, medicine, veterinary science and dentistry. In 2009, this is $8,677 (indexed for later years).
If you are a 'pre-2008 student' the maximum student contribution amount per EFTSL in 2009 for a unit of study in accounting, administration, economics and commerce is the same as it would be had the Australian Government not raised the maximum. In 2009, this is $7,412 (indexed for later years).
-
2. 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 2009 the Band 2 maximum is $7,412 (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 $4,162 (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.
Your provider can confirm whether you are required to pay the Band 2 student contribution amount for mathematics, statistics and science units.
A natural and physical sciences course of study means a course of study in the field of Natural and Physical Sciences, classified as Broad Field 01 in the publication Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED) 2001. A copy of the ASCED codes is available from the ABS website from the following link: ASCED Codes. Your provider can confirm whether you are required to pay the Band 2 student contribution amount for mathematics statistics and science units.
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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).
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No tax deduction on student contributions
You cannot claim your student contribution payments as a tax deduction.
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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
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