Study Assist

What is a Commonwealth supported place?

Commonwealth supported places are substantially subsidised by the Australian Government so that students only pay 'student contribution' amounts for their units of study.

Commonwealth supported places are available at all public universities and at a handful of private higher education providers (providers) in some national priority areas. Normally, private higher education providers only offer fee paying places.

Your student contribution amount will vary depending on the type of course you are studying, what your provider charges for your course, and how much the Government funds your provider for your course. The Government caps the student contribution amount, for each course discipline, that your provider can charge you.

Commonwealth supported places are only available to domestic students. Most undergraduate students studying at university are enrolled in Commonwealth supported places. From 1 January 2012, the Government will move to a demand driven system, which means it will no longer cap the amount of Commonwealth supported places a provider can offer at the undergraduate level (courses of study in medicine are the one exception where places will be capped).

You may not be offered a Commonwealth supported place in the course of your choice or at your chosen provider. Applications are assessed by providers, and offers are based on merit as students must also meet the course entry requirements set by the provider. If successful, your provider will let you know in writing whether you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place.

Eligible Commonwealth supported students (Australian citizens and permanent humanitarian visa holders) can use a HECS‑HELP loan to help them pay their student contributions or access the HECS-HELP discount for up-front payments of $500 or more. For information on your eligibility to access HECS-HELP, see the HECS-HELP page.

Only some providers offer Commonwealth supported places at the postgraduate level. Most postgraduate courses at universities are offered as fee paying, but you will need to check with your provider to see if it offers Commonwealth supported place for the postgraduate course you intend to study.

Am I eligible for a Commonwealth supported place?

To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place, you must:

• meet the citizenship and residency requirements;
• enrol with a provider in each unit, by the census date;
• read the Information for Commonwealth supported students and HECS‑HELP booklet;
• submit a valid Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form to your provider by the census date (or earlier administrative date); and
• finalise your payment arrangements for your student contributions by the census date.

Citizenship requirements:

You are eligible for a Commonwealth supported place if you are:

• an Australian citizen;
• a New Zealand citizen; or
• the holder of a permanent visa.

To check your eligibility as a permanent humanitarian visa holder or permanent visa holder, click on the following link to the Publications page for a list of eligible visa sub-classes.

Residency requirements:

New Zealand citizens and permanent visa holders you must be resident in Australia for the duration of their unit(s). Any period of residence outside Australia will be disregarded if:

• it cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of the unit; or
• it is required for the purpose of completing a requirement of that unit.

You will not meet the residency requirements if your provider reasonably expects that you will not be in Australia undertaking any units contributing to the course of study in which you are enrolled.

Do I have to accept a Commonwealth supported place?

Some students choose not to accept a Commonwealth supported place for a number of different reasons. However, these places are much cheaper than fee paying places.

If you don't want to accept a Commonwealth supported place, or if you want to be Commonwealth supported for only some of your units, you need to inform your provider of this in writing by the census date or administrative date for the relevant study period. Keep in mind that your provider does not have to offer you a fee paying place instead.

What if I'm not Commonwealth supported?

If you are not enrolled as a Commonwealth supported student, you will be enrolled as a fee paying student. This means the Government does not subsidise your education and you will need to pay the tuition fees set by your provider. Some fee paying students are eligible for a FEE-HELP loan to pay their tuition fees.

Can I use HECS-HELP if I’m a New Zealand citizen or a non-humanitarian permanent visa holder?

No. New Zealand citizens and non-humanitarian permanent visa holders are not eligible for a HECS-HELP loan or discounts for up front payments of student contributions (unless the New Zealand citizen is also an Australian citizen).

Need more information?

Please see our Frequently Asked Questions or the Contact us page.