How much does a unit cost? Domestic Undergraduate/Postgraduate Student with a Commonwealth Supported Place
Domestic Tuition Fees
Working out the cost of a unit involves several variables. If you are studying in a domestic undergraduate or postgraduate course and have a Commonwealth Supported Place (a HECS place), you will need the following information to work out approximately how much each unit will cost:
1. The year you started and the applicable Student Contribution Amount Rate (SCA Rate),
2. The EFTSL (Equivalent Full Time Study Load) value each unit you are studying is and
3. The Student Contribution Amount for each unit.
Calculate your fees
1. Student Contribution Amount Rates - When did you start this course of study?
Before 1 January, 1997
Between 1997 and 1 January, 2005
2005
After 1 January 2006
After 1 January 2008
Each of these Student Contribution Amount Rates are listed at our HECS rates and Miscellaneous Charges website. Be sure to take note of the relevant amount.
2. EFTSL
You can find the EFTSL value of any unit you are enrolled in by logging into OSIS, clicking on Self Enrolment and clicking on Units. If you are enrolled in that unit, the EFTSL value will be listed under the Study Load column. For a 3 credit point unit, the EFTSL value is generally 0.125. Alternatively, you can calculate the EFTSL value of any given unit by multiplying the units credit points and the course duration (in years), and then dividing by the minimum course credit points. The formula should look like this:
(Number of credit points for that unit x the length of time the course will take to complete, full time) / how many credit points are required to course complete = EFTSL value.
Eg. (3 credit points x 3 Years)/72 credit points= 0.125 EFTSL
3. STUDENT CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT (previously known as a HECS Band)
This information can be found at the HECS rates and Miscellaneous Charges page, or if you are unsure as to which Band your unit falls into, you also can find the Student Contribution Band for each unit by searching for the relevant unit on the Courses and Units Database. This information will be at the top of the unit description page, entitled student contribution band.
How to calculate your Student Contribution Amount
The fee for a unit is calculated by multiplying the unit EFTSL value by the Student Contribution Band Amount that unit corresponds to (taken from the year you started study).
EFTSL x Band = Student Contribution Amount (cost of the unit)
For example, a 3 credit point unit generally has an EFTSL value of 0.125. If this unit is within Student Contribution Band 3 and the student started study in 2006, your calculations should look something like this:
0.125 x $8170 = $1021.25 for this unit (approximately) and then rounded down to $1021
Please note: if a Student Contribution Amount consists of dollars and cents, it must be rounded down to the nearest dollar.
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EXAMPLE |
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You are enrolled in a 72 credit point Bachelor of Arts course. A standard full-time enrolment in this course would consist of 24 credit points per year, made up of 8 units (worth 3 credit points each); one full-time semester would equal 12 credit points, made up of 4 units (worth 3 credit points each). In this semester, you are taking 2 units in Band 1 (Humanities etc) and 2 units in Band 2 (Accounting etc) within your course. Based on the calculation above, if one 3 credit point Band 1 unit costs $577, then 2 x 3 credit point units would equal (2 x $577=) $1154 (approximately). If one 3 credit point Band 2 unit costs $822, then 2 x 3 credit point units would equal (2 x $822=) $1644 (approximately). Add these two amounts together ($1154 + $1644 =) to equal $2798. This would be your Student Contribution amount for the semester. If you decide to defer your full Student Contribution amount by applying for a HECS-HELP loan, the amount you will need to defer is $2798. If you decide to pay your Student Contribution amount ($2798) upfront in full, you would receive a 10% discount; so the payment amount due is reduced to $2518.20 (based on $2798 x 0.90 (10%) = $2518.20). If you decide to make only a partial payment of your Student Contribution amount, the 10% discount will only be applied to the amount that you pay. This is a fictional example, and the figures are approximates only. |
Do I need to pay this amount up-front?
No. If you have a Commonwealth Supported Place (a HECS place) and are an Australian citizen, or the holder of a Permenant Humanitarian Visa, you may use HECS-HELP to defer all or part your Student Contribution Amount.
If you have any concerns regarding the calculation of your fees, please call the Student Centre on 1300 301 727.
