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Course and Service Fees

The fees that a student is charged for undertaking tertiary study depend upon the education provider, the course and the mode of study (full or part time study). Students that study at TAFE have a different fee structure than students that study at a private RTO or university. There are three main fees that a student may be required to pay while undertaking tertiary study:

Refer to the following worksheet to assist you plan your budget for tertiary study:

University Course Fees

To undertake study at university students must pay tuition fees. These fees are either subsidised by the commonwealth government or are paid in full by the student. The exact amount of fees that you need to pay depends on what sort of student you are and the course you are studying.

There are three types of students at university: commonwealth supported students who pay student contributions, domestic students who pay full tuition fees up front and international students who pay full tuition fees up front.

The amount of tuition fees that a student is charged depends upon the number of subject points that they are enrolled in. If a students changes the number of subjects they are studying by adding or dropping a course the fee charged for that study load will also change.

To be eligible for a commonwealth supported place at university you must be an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or hold an Australian Permanent Resident Visa. The contribution that each student is required to pay is calculated using the weight of the course and the band that the course falls within as determined by the commonwealth government. Some commonwealth supported students are eligible to defer payment of their tuition fees via the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS - HELP) or to receive a discount for paying their student contribution upfront.

Domestic full fee paying students are required to pay the full fee that covers the costs of their tuition upfront. This cost is determined on the number of credit points that a student is enrolled in and the fee per credit point charged for that program in the current year.

For further information see HECS.

TAFE Course Fees

To undertake study at TAFE students must pay tuition fees. The exact amount of this fee or tuition contribution is calculated by the number of contact hours a student undertakes in their enrolled course. Tuition fees are calculated at set cost per contact hour of teaching and up to a pre determined maximum amount. Beyond this amount students are not required to pay anything more. The set cost per hour and the maximum amount charged varies between TAFE institutes in each State and Territory. Students that receive benefits from Centrelink are eligible to receive significant discounts on the cost of their TAFE fees.

TAFE students are not included in the commonwealth governments HECS scheme and do not have to pay HECS. TAFE fees are generally charged per semester but can vary between TAFE institutes.

RTO Course Fees

Private RTOs are responsible for setting the costs of the training they provide and the method of payment. Some private providers require a deposit to secure a class placement and others require the full amount upfront. Most private RTOs provide instalment payment plans and offer concessionary rates for students that receive Centrelink payments. Discounts may also be available to students that pay the full amount upfront. It is important that you speak to the course coordinator at the RTO that you wish to study and identify the cost of your course before enrolling. HECS - HELP Loans are not available to students studying at a RTO.

Refer to Worksheet 2 - Finding a course that is right for you to assist you identify the questions that you need to ask a course coordinator when investigating the requirements of a particular course.

TAFE and University Service Fee

University and TAFE students are also required to a pay a general services or service fee that contributes to the cost of a range of services, activities and facilities provided by the tertiary institutions. The amount charged differs between education providers and students may be eligible for a discounted fee depending on their enrolment circumstances and the level of access they have to facilities and services provided by the tertiary institution. The amount charged varies each year and the fee is generally charged per each semester.

The general services fee is compulsory and NOT deferrable and students must meet this cost upfront by the due date. Students that fail to pay the  fee will not be given access to essential services and may even be barred from receiving exam results and graduating.  Examples of circumstances where the general services fee or service fee may be discounted include non award students, limited 'on campus' attendance, off campus students, leave of absence or cross institutional enrolment.

Enrolment Fee

Some TAFE institutes charge students an enrolment fee. The cost of this fee varies between TAFE institutes and is generally charged per semester. If students are already enrolled at a training provider and have paid the requisite fee they may be exempt from paying it again if they enrol in second course with another private training provider.

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