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Commonwealth supported students

Students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), known as ‘Commonwealth supported students’, are subsidised by the Australian Government to study. This means the Government pays a portion of your fees directly to Victoria University. You do not have to repay this portion to the Government. You pay the remainder of the fees as a ‘student contribution’ amount.

On this page: 
Eligibility for a CSP
Calculate your student contribution
Getting HELP with your fees
Further assistance & advice
Contact us

Eligibility for a CSP

To be eligible for a CSP, you must:

  • be an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen, or the holder of a permanent visa
  • meet the relevant citizenship and residency requirements
  • 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 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), and
  • finalise your 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.

Calculate your student contribution

Different study areas are grouped into one of three 'bands' by the Government. The bands set the maximum amount that can be charged for units on a full-time study load.

When calculating your student contribution, the amount you pay will depend on the:

  • band that each unit fits into (as they are not always the same, such as when enrolling in electives);
  • weight of the unit (EFTSL); and
  • year (since the band amounts are indexed annually).

EFTSL stands for "Equivalent Full-Time Student Load" and is a measure of the study load for one year of a student undertaking a course on a full-time basis. 1 EFTSL = 1 year of full-time study. A single unit normally has an EFTSL of 0.125.

The following table shows the 2016 Student Contribution Bands and amounts.

STUDENT CONTRIBUTION BAND 2016 STUDENT CONTRIBUTION RANGE (PER EFTSL)
Band 1
humanities, behavioural science, social studies, education, clinical psychology, foreign languages, visual and performing arts, nursing		 $0 - $6,256
Band 2
mathematics, statistics, computing, built environment, allied health, other health, science, engineering, surveying, agriculture		 $0 - $8,917
Band 3
law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science		 $0 - $10,440

How to calculate your student contribution amount

Your student contribution amount for a unit of study is calculated as:

(Student contribution amount) x multiplied by (EFTSL value of unit) = equals the amount you have to pay for the unit.

Example 1

Benjamin has enrolled in 2 humanities units in 2016, Social Media (ACC3004) and Language in Society (ACC3041).

 

Both are humanities units (Band 1), with an EFTSL of 0.125.

 

Benjamin’s student contribution amount would therefore be:

($6256 x 0.125) x 2 = $1564

Example 2

Elizabeth has enrolled in Yield Management (BHO3311) and Engineering Mathematics 2 (ENF1201) in 2016, which fall into Band 1 and Band 2 respectively.

 

Both units have an EFTSL of 0.125.

 

Elizabeth’s student contribution amount would therefore be:

($6256 x 0.125) + ($8917 x 0.125) = $1897 (rounded up)

View a list of all higher education units for domestic students, including EFTSL and student contribution amount.

You can also search for individual unit fees in MYVU Portal.

Getting HELP with your fees

Eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place may be able to get help paying their student contribution through the Higher Education Loan Programme (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)

If you are enrolled in a CSP, you can either pay your student contribution up-front, or choose to defer your student contribution via HECS-HELP. In this case, the Government pays the outstanding student contribution amount directly to Victoria University on your behalf.

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 Study Assist website.

Overseas study (OS-HELP)

OS-HELP is a loan 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 Study Assist 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.

Read more about SA-HELP on the Study Assist 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)