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 are required to pay a student contribution for each unit.  The Australian Government also makes a contribution, providing about three dollars to the higher education sector for every dollar charged in student contributions. This includes the Commonwealth contribution paid directly to your provider for Commonwealth supported places.

The Commonwealth contribution amounts are provided in Table 1: Commonwealth contribution amount per EFTSL for 2008.

Each provider sets its own student contribution amount for each Commonwealth supported unit of study, so student contributions will vary between providers. The student contribution amount must be set within the range stated in the Higher Education Support Act 2003

The student contribution bands and ranges for 2008 are provided in Table 2: 2008 Student contribution bands and ranges  for students commencing on or after 1 January 2008 and Table 3: 2008 Student contribution bands and ranges for pre 2005 HECS students.

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 their student contribution amounts.

• Table 1: 2008 Commonwealth contribution amounts per EFTSL
• Table 2: 2008 Student contribution ranges for students commencing on or after 1 January 2008
• Table 3: 2008 Student contribution ranges for pre-2005 HECS students
• Table 4: 2009 Commonwealth contribution amounts per EFTSL
• Table 5: 2009 Student contribution ranges for students commencing on or after 1 January 2009
  

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 your unit of your course of study (the equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) value on the unit).  This amount is paid direct to your higher education provider.  Table 1 shows the Commonwealth contribution amounts for one EFTSL in 2008.  These amounts are indexed each year.

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.

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

Pre-2008 students: For a pre-2008 student, the maximum student contribution that may be charged for accounting, administration, economics and commerce units is $7,260.  This amount applies to Commonwealth supported students who commenced a course of study before 1 January 2008. More Information about pre-2008 Students. 

Note: Transitional arrangements for pre-2005 students end on 31 December 2008.  See information about pre-2008 students.

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 Nursing, you may undertake some units of study that are classified as ‘science’ and some that are classified as ‘nursing’.  Therefore, your provider can set your student contribution for the science units up to the maximum for band 2 and for the nursing 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. 

*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.