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  1. Academic
Authority Source: Vice-Chancellor
Approval Date: 12/09/2024
Publication Date: 12/09/2024
Review Date: 12/09/2029
Effective Date: 01/01/2025
Custodian: Pro Vice-Chancellor, Future Students
Contact: Director.SA@canberra.edu.au
Accessibility: Public
Status: Published
In developing this policy the University had regard to the provisions of section 40B(1)(b) of the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT).
Domestic Student Contributions and Tuition Fees Policy (effective 1 January 2025)
1. Purpose:
  1. This Policy sets out the principles for setting, collecting and administering domestic student contribution amounts, tuition fees and other fee types at the University of Canberra (the University) in line with legislative requirements specified by the Commonwealth Government.
2. Scope:
  1. This Policy applies to all domestic students undertaking a University of Canberra program of study in Australia. This includes students enrolled in a University of Canberra program through the University of Canberra College.
  2. A domestic student is:
    1. an Australian citizen; or
    2. a New Zealand citizen; or
    3. an Australian permanent resident; or
    4. a holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.
3. Principles:
  1. Domestic student fees comprise:
    1. domestic tuition fees, which may be subsidised and/or deferred through an Australian Government Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loan
    2. Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)
    3. additional costs, such as costs associated with training and checks for internships and placements, parking, printing, personal equipment, uniforms and photocopying, textbooks or other reference materials.
  2. With the exception of the fees described in Clause 3.1.3, the University Council will determine fees for the following year, taking into account the maximum rate set by the Commonwealth government.
  3. Up-to-date information regarding tuition fees and other charges are provided to students on the University’s Domestic Fees and Costs webpage.
  4. Students must ensure that they are aware of the University's published information regarding tuition fees and charges.
  5. Where a student remains enrolled in units after the Census Date as recorded in the University’s student management system, they are liable for the cost of these units. This liability must be discharged by the Census Date either through upfront payment or deferral through HELP, unless prior arrangements have been made.
  6. Payments received towards a student fee account will initially be applied to the oldest outstanding fee debt based on the due date.
Tuition fees for Commonwealth Supported students
  1. Domestic student tuition fees are governed by the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003 (Cth).
  2. Students admitted to a program of study leading to an award of the University may be admitted to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
  3. Unless exempt, every Commonwealth Supported student enrolled in a unit of study is required to pay a student contribution amount for that unit.
  4. The University sets tuition fees for Commonwealth Supported students in accordance with the Student Contribution Bands published by the Australian Government. Student Contribution Bands are reviewed annually by the Government department responsible for education and training, and are subject to change.
  5. Student contribution amounts and methods for calculating liabilities are published on the University’s Domestic Fees and Costs webpage and on the Australian Government’s StudyAssist website.
  6. The Student Contribution amount a Commonwealth Supported Student is liable for is determined by the student’s unit enrolment, not course enrolment, at Census Date.
  7. To qualify for Commonwealth Supported status and the option to defer payment through an Australian Government HELP loan, a student starting a new course must submit their electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) prior to Census Date. Students who do not submit an eCAF by the Administrative Due date determined by the University may have an encumbrance (a restriction) placed on their enrolment until an eCAF is submitted.
  8. Commonwealth Supported students who wish to make a full or partial payment of a student contribution amount must do so by the Census Date for the relevant teaching period.
Tuition fees for full fee-paying students
  1. Domestic students admitted to a non-CSP program of study leading to an award of the University, a non-award unit or cross-institutional studies may be admitted on a domestic full-fee paying basis.
  2. Domestic students paying full fees are charged a domestic course rate. Tuition fees are derived based on the equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) associated with each unit.
  3. Tuition fees are reviewed and determined annually and are subject to increase. For commencing students, the initial tuition fee rate for their first teaching period is determined based on the approved tuition fees at the time they commence study in their first teaching period.
  4. For fee-paying coursework courses, new tuition rates will apply to commencing students in the following year.
  5. A non-Commonwealth Supported Student who intends to defer payment of tuition fees via FEE-HELP must submit a FEE-HELP Commonwealth assistance form by the census date of the relevant teaching period.
  6. Upfront tuition fee payments will be due by the end of Week One of each teaching period.
Tuition fees for higher degree by research students
  1. All students who are Australian Citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa Holders, New Zealand Citizens or Permanent Residents are allocated an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) fee offset scholarship.
  2. The RTP fee offset scholarship will cover the full cost of tuition fees up to:
    1. four years full time for a PhD or professional doctorate candidate (or the part-time equivalent)
    2. two years full time for a masters by research candidate (or the part-time equivalent).
  3. Domestic Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students who are not eligible for a RTP fee offset scholarship because they exceed these time limits may be liable to pay tuition fees.
  4. RTP students will be charged at the tuition fee rate relevant at the time they became a fee-paying student.
  5. If tuition fees are charged, students may be eligible for the Australian Government’s FEE-HELP Loan Scheme to assist with paying their tuition fees. Students eligible for the FEE-HELP Loan Scheme must complete an electronic request for a HELP Loan by Census Date. Further information on eligibility for FEE-HELP is available on the University’s Research Fees and Costs webpage and the StudyAssist website.
Commonwealth assistance for students studying overseas
  1. The University will manage OS-HELP applications for eligible students in accordance with the HESA Act 2003 (Cth) to assist with expenses such as airfares, accommodation, and other travel-related or study-related expenses overseas.
  2. Eligibility criteria and application instructions for OS-HELP will be available on the University website.
  3. To be considered for an OS-HELP loan, students must meet all eligibility criteria outlined on the University website.
  4. A student must submit their electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) within 14 days of receiving advice of their application outcome and sign a Payment Details Authority Form before payment of an OS-HELP loan can be made.
Student service and amenities fees
  1. Most students are required to pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). Details of exempted students and the schedule for the SSAF is available on the Student Services and Amenities Fee webpage.
  2. SSAF is assessed annually based on full-time or part-time enrolment, with all students charged the yearly set rate; part-time students pay a one-off annual fee, while full-time students pay a supplementary fee in the second half of the year. Students will be charged SSAF for each teaching period until the annual charge is paid in full, and payment arrangements (including deferring payment using SA-HELP) must be finalised by the census date of each teaching period.
  3. Eligible domestic students may access a SA-HELP Loan to defer all or part of their SSAF. Applications for SA-HELP must be submitted by the census date of the relevant teaching period. Details about eligibility requirements are available on the Australian Government StudyAssist website and the Student Services and Amenities Fee webpage.
  4. Students who fail to finalise payment arrangements for SSAF in the appropriate time frame will have their results and transcript withheld, will be unable to enrol in future teaching periods, and will not be able to graduate.
  5. There is no capacity under the HESA Act 2003 (Cth) for the University to refund the SSAF or to remit an SA-HELP debt incurred after the census date for a teaching period.
Incidental fees and charges
  1. The University may levy additional incidental fees and administrative charges in accordance with HESA 2003 (Cth). University-wide fees and charges, such as late payment fees, will be published on the Fees and Costs webpage on the University website.
Payment of fees
  1. Payment arrangements must be finalised by the Census Date of each teaching period. Where tuition fees are not deferred to a HELP Loan, they must be paid upfront by census date.
  2. In accordance with HESA Act 2003 (Cth), domestic students may be eligible to apply for a HELP Loan to defer all or part of their tuition fees. Further information is available on the Fees and Costs webpage and MyUC.
  3. To make an upfront payment, students must generate their Statement of Account (SoA) using MyUC. The SoA will indicate the payment due date and payment options. Further information is available on the Fees and Costs webpage and MyUC.
  4. Where a student changes their unit enrolment after paying the fee, students should generate a new Statement of Account (SoA) to make sure any extra fees are paid by the specified deadline.
  5. Any amount owed to a student due to a withdrawal from a unit prior to the census date or a change as outlined in Clause 3.39, will be automatically applied to their next payment where a refund is not requested.
Commonwealth Assistance Notice
  1. A Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is a statement of enrolment and a record of a student’s use of Commonwealth Assistance for a teaching period.
  2. Students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place with a HELP liability will be provided with an electronic statement of that liability – the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Notice (eCAN) – within 28 days of the Census date in any teaching period.
  3. Students have 14 days from the date of issue of the eCAN to advise the University if they believe there is an error in their CAN. The University will amend the CAN if investigations confirm the error.
Difficulties with payment
  1. Under exceptional circumstances students ineligible for HELP support and facing payment difficulties may qualify for special payment arrangements. Requests for these  arrangements must be made in writing to the Fees Officer (or delegate), accompanied by documentation outlining the student’s financial situation and relevant circumstances.
  2. Extensions to payments that are greater than 3 months will not normally be granted.
  3. Extension of payment will be advised in writing and will not be granted automatically. Late payment fees may apply.
Non-payment of fees
  1. Students who fail to pay fees or complete HELP application processes by the Census date for any teaching period will have their enrolment cancelled.
  2. A full fee-paying student with unpaid units after the census date will remain liable for the fees associated with the teaching period.  If fees are not paid, the student may be discontinued but may be reinstated in their course and enrolled in a future teaching period once payment is made. Late payment fees may apply.
  3. In accordance with the HESA Act 2003 (Cth), a CSP student whose enrolment is cancelled after census date will be withdrawn from their enrolled course without fee liability.
  4. Any student with outstanding tuition, SSAF or incidental fees for either themselves or by their sponsor will not be approved for award conferral and will not receive any graduation documentation until all outstanding amounts have been paid.
Fee refunds
  1. Commencing and continuing domestic students are entitled to receive a full or partial refund of their tuition fees, or remission of their HELP debt, under certain conditions as identified in Table 1.
  2. Students who withdraw from study after the census date of the relevant teaching period and who request a refund of payment or remission of debt will need to provide evidence of special circumstance as per HESA Act 2003 (Cth) requirements.
Table 1: Tuition fee refunds
REASON REFUND
Withdrawal from units prior to census date. 100% tuition fee refund or full remission of HECS debt for these units.

100% refund of up-front SSAF payment or full remission of SA-HELP.
Withdrawal from units after census date without special circumstances. No tuition fee refund or no remission of HECS debt for these units.

No refund of upfront SSAF payment or remission of SA-HELP.
Withdrawal from units after census date with evidence of special circumstances. 100% tuition fee refund or full remission of HECS debt for these units.

Application must be submitted within 12 months of withdrawal unless reasons for late application are provided.

Evidence of special circumstances demonstrating ALL the following:
  • The special circumstance was beyond the student’s control.
  • The special circumstance did not make its full impact felt until on or after the census date.
  • The special circumstance made it impracticable to complete the unit requirements.
No refund of upfront SSAF payment or remission of SA-HELP.
 
  1. Any amount owed to a full fee-paying student, including from overpayment of fees, will be credited towards the student’s next fee payment or may be refunded to the student upon request.
  2. A student must apply for a refund using the Application for Refund of Tuition Fees.
  3. Refunds will normally be paid within 4 weeks from the date of receipt of a written request for a refund from the student, or the date of clearance of the original payment, whichever is later.
  4. Refunds will be paid only following full payment of any outstanding debts owed to the University, such as library fines, late fees or student loans.
  5. A student who is dissatisfied with a decision made under this policy may appeal against the decision using the University’s Student Grievance Resolution Policy.
4. Responsibilities:
WHO RESPONSIBILITIES
Fees Officer (ex officio Director, Student Connect)
  • Approving special payment arrangements.
Student
  • Paying fees OR submitting a Commonwealth Assistance form by the due date.
Student Connect
  • Administering tuition fee arrangements in accordance with this Policy.
  • Issuing and amending Commonwealth Assistance Notices if errors are identified.
  • Issuing refunds in accordance with this Policy.
  • Cancelling enrolments in the case of non-payment of fees.
  • Withdrawing Commonwealth Supported students if their enrolment has been cancelled.
University Council
  • Setting fees.
5. Legislation:
  1. The following legislation and standards are related to this Policy
    1. Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
    2. Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003 (Cth)
    3. University of Canberra (Fees) Rules 2022
    4. University of Canberra Fees Statute 1995.
6. Supporting Information:
  1. The following University Policies, Procedures and Guidelines are related to this Policy:
    1. International Student Fee Policy
    2. Student Grievance Resolution Policy
    3. Support for Students Policy.
  2. The following additional information is related to this Policy:
    1. Higher Education Administrative Information for Providers
    2. Higher Education Support (OS-HELP) Guidelines 2023
    3. HELP Publications – StudyAssist.
7. Definitions:
TERM DEFINITION
Administrative Due Date A deadline set by the University for students to provide requested information or pay tuition fees and Student Services and Amenities Fees. This date may, or may not, align with the relevant teaching period census date. Penalties may be applied to students who do not meet the published deadlines.
Census Date The last day to withdraw from a unit without academic and financial penalty. For semesters 1 and 2, the census date is usually the Friday of Week 4 of semester and for Winter term it is usually the Friday of Week 3. A census date must be no earlier than 20% of the way through the teaching period for the unit.
Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) A place at a university or higher education provider available to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens who meet the criteria for HELP, or holders of a permanent humanitarian visa where the Australian Government pays a portion of the tuition fees. This government subsidy helps reduce the cost of tertiary education for eligible students.
Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS) An eligible domestic student who accesses a HELP loan to pay their unit fees.
Domestic Student An Australian Citizen, a New Zealand citizen who meets the criteria for HELP, or Australian Permanent Resident or Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder.
Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) An online form which must be submitted by students to apply for Commonwealth assistance, such as HECS-HELP, SA-HELP, OS-HELP or FEE-HELP, to help pay for their tertiary education expenses. Through the eCAF system, students submit their request for Commonwealth assistance, provide necessary information about their enrolment and study load, and indicate their preference for deferring payment of their tuition fees through government loan schemes.
Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Notice (eCAN) An online statement provided to eligible higher education students in Australia, detailing their Commonwealth-supported places (CSPs) or HECS-HELP loan arrangements for the enrolled teaching period. The eCAN outlines important information such as the tuition fees covered by the Australian Government, any HECS-HELP loans incurred by the student, and any upfront payments made towards their education. It serves as a transparent record of the student’s financial obligations and government support, helping them understand their current tuition fee status and any associated debts for the study period.
Encumbrance A block or restriction placed on a student’s record.  This block stops students from using certain university services like email, network, medical and counselling services. It also prevents them from enrolling in classes, seeing their results, or graduating. Encumbrances are usually put in place if a student has unpaid fees, fines, or hasn’t submitted required documents.
Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL) EFTSL represents the workload of a full-time student over an academic year, with 1.0 EFTSL equivalent to the workload of a full-time student undertaking a year of study.
Full Fee-Paying Student A student studying in a non-Commonwealth supported place.
Full-Time load A standard full-time load is 24 credit points (cp) or 1.0 EFTSL per year.  This is equivalent to 12 cp in a semester or college teaching period or 6 cp in any other teaching period. Students enrolled in 75% or more of a full course load in a teaching period are considered to be full-time for that teaching period. This aligns with the full-time load required by Services Australia to receive Austudy or Youth Allowance.
Graduation Documentation Academic transcript, Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement and Testamur.
HDR Student Higher Degree by Research Student. A student studying a Doctorate (PhD), Professional Doctorate (e.g., DBA) or Masters by Research course.
Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) Loans
  • HECS-HELP is a loan available to eligible domestic students enrolled in Commonwealth supported places. A HECS-HELP loan will cover all or part of the student contribution amount.
  • FEE-HELP is a loan given to eligible domestic fee-paying students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees.
  • SA-HELP is a loan available to eligible domestic students to help pay the SSAF
  • OS-HELP is a load to assist eligible undergraduate and postgraduate domestic students with a range of expenses such as airfare, accommodation and other travel of study expenses. Aims to support Australian students in gaining valuable international experience as part of their higher education studies by providing financial assistance for overseas study opportunities.
MyUC Online portal which allows students to enrol in units and majors, arrange their timetable, create a study plan, view upcoming exams and assessments, access unit outlines and course progress, pay fees, complete student forms.
Non-Award Studies Non-award studies take place through a structured program of learning but do not lead to a qualification accredited under the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Part time load Students enrolled in less than 75% of the full course load in a teaching period are considered to be part time for that teaching period.
Remission A process of removing an incurred HELP loan debt from the Australian Government, often resulting from a successful appeal against enrolment after the census date.
Statement of Account (SoA) Fees invoice generated by the student in MyUC.
Student Contribution Amounts The tuition fees a Commonwealth supported student must pay.
Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) Covers items such as childcare, food services, financial advice, wellbeing support, sporting and recreational activities, employment and career advice etc. Payment includes a Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Teaching Period A defined teaching and study period for the completion of units for a particular course. Semester 1, Semester 2 and Winter Term are considered standard teaching periods. All other teaching periods are considered non-standard teaching periods.
Unit A component of a course having a specific designated code and title in which students enrol and complete specific work requirements. Tuition fees are charged based on the number of units enrolled per teaching period.