Students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) are known as ‘Commonwealth supported students’.
If you're a Commonwealth supported student your fees are partly subsidised by the Australian Government. This means the Government pays a portion of your fees directly to VU and you don't have to repay this portion. You pay the remainder of the fees as a ‘student contribution’ amount.
In addition to your tuition fees, you will also be charged a Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Eligibility for a CSP
To be eligible for a CSP you must:
- be an Australian citizen, who will complete some of your course of study while resident in Australia; or
- be a New Zealand citizen, who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s) of study; or
- be a permanent visa holder, who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s) of study.
- have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date (for new enrolments from 1 January 2021)
- have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement available (for new enrolments from 1 January 2022)
- meet the completion rate requirements (for new enrolments from 1 January 2022)
- not undertake more than two years' worth of higher education study in 12 months, unless VU has assessed you as capable of taking on a higher study load.
- enrol in each unit by the census date (some units may not be enrolled after the third week of commencement of the course, subject to College discretion)
- read the relevant edition of the HECS-HELP, Commonwealth supported places information booklet
- submit a valid Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form by the census date (or earlier administrative date)
- finalise payment arrangements for your student contributions by the census date.
Postgraduate students: Please be aware that being eligible does not guarantee that you will be offered a CSP in your chosen course.
Find out more about CSP eligibility on the StudyAssist website.
The electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) is an online form used by domestic students to apply for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) and/or Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loan.
You must submit an eCAF for a CSP course to show how you will pay your student contribution – whether you pay up-front or defer your tuition fees with a loan.
Student contribution bands & amounts
Different study areas are grouped into 'bands' by the Government. The bands set the maximum student contribution amount that can be charged for units on a full-time study load.
In 2021, the Australian Government introduced the Job-ready Graduates Package which changed the way it funds university courses.
These changes affect the contribution amount students are required to pay towards their course.
New students
New commencing students will pay the following student contribution amounts (per EFTSL) in 2023.
| Course funding band | Commencing student contribution amount (per EFTSL) in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Nursing, Foreign Languages, Agriculture | $4,124 |
| Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology, Professional Pathway Social Work, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science, Pathology | $8,301 |
| Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science | $11,800 |
| Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture | $15,142 |
Continuing students
Continuing students who commenced prior to 2021 will pay the following student contribution amounts (per EFTSL) in 2023
| Course funding band | Continuing student contribution amount (per EFTSL) in 2023 |
|---|---|
| Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics, Statistics, Nursing, Foreign Languages, Agriculture | $4,124 |
| Society and Culture, Communications, Visual and Performing Arts, Professional Pathway Psychology, Professional Pathway Social Work | $7,105 |
| Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies, Science, Pathology | $8,301 |
| Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science | $11,800 |
| Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce | $11,857 |
New contribution amounts took effect in the 2021 academic year. If the new tuition fee is lower than in 2021, you will pay the new, lower, fee.
However, if the student contribution fees have increased, you will continue to pay equivalent of the 2021 fee rates with CPI indexing applied each year.
Calculate your course tuition fees
Use the fee schedules to help you calculate the cost of your course in 2023 (by adding together the contribution amount listed for each of your enrolled units).
Individual unit fees
Use the following fee schedules to calculate the cost of your studies:
- 2023 indicative undergraduate full fees & CSP:
2023 undergraduate unit fees - 2023 indicative postgraduate full fees (per 96 credit points & unit fees per 12 credit points)
2023 postgraduate unit fees
How student contribution is calculated
When calculating student contribution, the amount you pay will depend on:
- your study load
- the course funding band that each unit fits into.
Your student contribution amount for a unit of study is calculated as: Study load x Course funding band.
Study load
- Study load is measured in EFTSL, which stands for 'Equivalent Full-Time Student Load'.
- One year of full time study = 1 EFTSL.
- Full time study is normally divided into 8 units per year, therefore 1 unit = 1/8, or 0.125 EFTSL (12 credit points).
Example:
For a commencing student in 2023, the unit Financial Accounting (BAO2202):
- has an EFTSL (study load) value of 0.125
- is classified under the Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Communications, Society and Culture course funding band in table 1 ($15,142)
Formula: Study Load (0.125) x course funding band ($15,142) = Unit cost ($1892.75)
Getting HELP with your fees
Eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) may be able to get help paying their student contribution through the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), administered by the Government.
There are several different HELP loans available to assist you with the cost of your course.
Higher Education Commonwealth Support (HECS-HELP)
HECS-HELP is a loan scheme to help eligible CSP students pay for their student contribution amounts (SCA). You can choose to defer all or part of your tuition amount. The Government then pays the remaining outstanding SCA directly to Victoria University and a HECS-HELP debt is recorded with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
If you access a HECS-HELP loan, you will repay the loan through the tax system once you start earning above the minimum repayment threshold. Voluntary repayments can be made at any time directly to the ATO, regardless of income.
Read more about HECS-HELP on the StudyAssist website.
Student services & amenities (SA-HELP)
SA‑HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay for all or part of their student services and amenities fee (SSAF). The SSAF covers student services and amenities of a non-academic nature.
Read more about SA-HELP on the StudyAssist website.
Overseas study (OS-HELP)
OS-HELP is a loan scheme to help eligible Commonwealth supported students who study overseas for a semester. It can be used for a range of expenses such as airfares, accommodation, and other travel or study expenses.
Students may receive one loan per six-month study period and can access a total of two OS‑HELP loans over their lifetime.
Read more about OS-HELP on the StudyAssist website.
Further assistance & advice
There are many ways we can help if you need support paying your fees, including with a fee extension, student loan or scholarship.
We also provide free and confidential advice if you experience personal, financial or study-related difficulties.
Contact us
Ask questions & find answers through Ask VU.
Phone: +61 3 9919 6100
Visit: VUHQ (Student Service Centre)
