Your student contribution explained
What is my student contribution?
Answer ID 120 | Last updated on 10/02/2025 04.13 PM
In a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) the Australian Government pays some of your fees and you pay the rest; this is called your 'student contribution amount'.
If you are enrolled in a CSP you may be eligible to get a HECS-HELP loan to cover your student contribution amount.
How much will I pay for my course?
Each unit of study is classified into a student contribution band, depending on the study area of the unit (this may be different from the study area of your course). The amount you pay for your unit of study is usually the maximum allowed by the Government for that band.
2021 Changes to your student contribution amount - Job-Ready Graduates legislation
The Federal Government's 'Job-ready Graduates Package', announced in 2020, made changes to student contribution bands with effect from 1 January 2021.
Students already studying in a Commonwealth Supported Place (prior to the changes) had their contribution amounts grandfathered, meaning they were not charged higher rates. From 1 January 2021, where the new student contribution amount became cheaper due to the Job-ready Package, current students who enrolled in units within their existing degree were charged the new cheaper Student Contribution amounts.
Existing students (enrolled in 2020 and prior) who transferred to another course with effect from 1 January 2021 are charged at the relevant new student contribution rate, and were not grandfathered due to legislation. There are a number of exemptions to this rule (for example student who are continuing on to an Honours year. Full details of this can be found below under the definition of Grandfathered).
Additional financial supports:
More information on additional support for students in regional and remote areas, including the new Tertiary Access Payment (TAP), Fares Allowance and the guaranteed Commonwealth Supported Places for Indigenous students, can be found on the Support for students page.
2022 Contribution amounts for grandfathered students from 1 January 2021**
| For a place in a unit of study included in this funding cluster | The 2022 maximum student contribution amount in respect of a grandfathered student (per *EFTSL) |
| Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture |
(a) Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics or Commerce $11,457
(b) Communications or Society and Culture $6,865. |
| Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work |
(a) Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics $3,985
(b) Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment or Computing $8,021
(c) Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work $6,865.
|
| Nursing, Indigenous and Foreign Languages, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science |
(a) Nursing, Indigenous Language or Foreign Languages $3,985
(b) Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science $8,021. |
| Agriculture, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, Pathology |
(a) Agriculture $3,985
(b) Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science $11,401 |
*EFTSL = Equivalent Full Time Study Load
2022 Contribution amounts for new students from 1 January 2021
| Student contribution band | 2022 maximum student contribution amount (per *EFTSL) |
| Band 4: Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture | $14,630 |
| Band 3: Dentistry, medicine, veterinary science | $11,400 |
| Band 2: Other health, allied health, built environment, computing, engineering, surveying, science, environmental studies, pathology, visual and performing arts, professional pathway psychology, professional pathway social work | $8,021 |
| Band 1: Agriculture, English, mathematics, education, clinical psychology, Indigenous and foreign languages, nursing, statistics | $3,985 |
*EFTSL = Equivalent Full Time Study Load
You can estimate the Student Contribution amount you have to pay for each of your units of study. You will need to know the Student Contribution amount for the unit in which you are enrolled, and the equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) of your unit (this can be found in your Statement of Enrolment in studentConnect). If you are a continuing Commonwealth Supported student, you will also need to know whether the unit is in a grandfathered discipline.
Your Student Contribution amount for a unit of study is estimated by:
(Student contribution amount) x (EFTSL value of unit) = the amount you have to pay
Note: Eligible CSP students can defer this payment with a HECS-HELP loan.