Overview
Commonwealth loans and scholarships
General citizenship and residency rules
Commonwealth assistance available
Overview
In 2002, the previous Australian Government conducted a review of Australia’s higher education system. The previous Government’s response to the review was announced in the policy statement, Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future.
The statement included changes to the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme (PELS) that came into effect on 1 January 2005.
See also:
For previous versions of these booklets see Publications page .
At the undergraduate level, higher education providers are able to offer two types of places to domestic students:
- Commonwealth supported (previously known as a HECS place)
- Fee-paying (non-Commonwealth supported).
If you are in a Commonwealth supported place, you only make a contribution towards the cost of your education (known as the student contribution) while the Australian Government contributes the majority of the cost.
If you are not Commonwealth supported, you will pay tuition fees which are not subsidised by the Australian Government.
Overseas students are only able to study in an overseas fee-paying place and must pay overseas student fees. Providers must charge overseas students fees at a level sufficient to recover the full costs of delivering their course.
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Commonwealth loans and scholarships
Eligible students have access to deferred payment arrangements through the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP). The HELP scheme consists of three loans:
- HECS-HELP
- FEE-HELP
- OS-HELP (only available to undergraduates).
As well as the HELP scheme, there are a number of Commonwealth and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to eligible students to assist with the costs associated with undertaking higher education.
See also:
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General citizenship and residency rules
Access to Commonwealth assistance for higher education, which includes subsidised places and loans, is dependent on your citizenship or residency status.
See also: Being eligible & Student Learning Entitlement
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Commonwealth assistance available
The following table outlines the Commonwealth assistance options available to Commonwealth supported, fee-paying and overseas students, based on citizenship or residency status.
Note: This table only applies to students commencing their studies after 1 January 2005. If you commenced your studies before 2005 go to pre 2005 HECS students or pre 2005 non HECS students whichever is appropriate.
|
Citizenship /
residency status |
Commonwealth pays |
Student
pays |
Payment options
(including loans) |
| Commonwealth supported students |
Australian citizens
Permanent humanitarian visa holders |
Commonwealth contribution
20% HECS-HELP discount for:
- full up-front payments, or
- partial up-front payments of $500 or more.
|
Student contribution |
Three payment options:
- HECS-HELP loan
- full up-front payment (inc. 20% discount)
- partial up-front payment (inc. 20% discount for payment of $500 or more)
HECS-HELP loan
OS-HELP loan for overseas study.
See also:
HECS-HELP
OS-HELP
|
|
New Zealand citizens
Other permanent visa holders |
Commonwealth contribution |
Student contribution |
No loans - full up-front payment only.
See also:
Payment options & HECS-HELP
|
| Fee-paying (non-Commonwealth supported) students |
Australian citizens
Permanent humanitarian visa holders
|
No contribution |
Tuition fees |
- FEE-HELP loan
- Full or partial up-front payment
|
New Zealand citizens
Other permanent visa holders
|
No contribution |
Tuition fees |
No loans - full up-front payment only. |
| Overseas students |
Foreign citizens who do not hold an Australian permanent visa
Temporary visa holders
Provisional visa holders
|
No contribution |
Overseas student fees |
No loans.
See also: International students |
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