Commonwealth supported students

‘Commonwealth supported’ means the cost of your study is shared between the Australian Government and you.

What is a CSP?

A ‘Commonwealth supported place’ (CSP) is a place at a university or higher education provider, where the government pays part of your fees. This part is a subsidy, not a loan, and you don't have to pay it back.

What is HECS-HELP?

HECS-HELP is a government loan scheme that assists eligible Commonwealth supported students in paying the remaining part of their fees.

Am I eligible for a CSP?

Check your course details

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for the course you wish to study, and check that your course offers CSP. Find a list of all Flinders University courses here.

Check you’re one of the following

• An Australian citizen (studying at least one unit of your course while living in Australia);
• A New Zealand citizen (studying your entire course while living in Australia);
• An Australian permanent visa holder (studying your entire course while living in Australia);
• An eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder (studying your entire course while living in Australia); or
• A Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder (studying your entire course while living in Australia).

In addition to your citizenship, residency and course requirements, you need to:

• Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date of your course;
• Have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) available; and
• Make sure you’re not planning to undertake more than 2 years’ worth of higher education study within 12 months, unless you’ve been approved to take on more.

If you meet these requirements, you may be eligible to receive a Commonwealth supported place in your chosen course! Offer subject to change.

Not sure what some of this terminology means? This guide can help.

How do I apply for a HECS-HELP loan?

You must complete a Commonwealth Assistance Form (CAF) before enrolling. You can do this by following the steps here.

With a CSP, how much will I pay for my course?

Being granted a CSP will not cover the entire cost of your study. Students must pay the rest, and these fees are known as the 'student contribution amount'. The amount you must contribute depends on the date in which you enrolled for your course, as well as what course you choose to study.

Your personal student contribution amount will be calculated using the annual student contribution amount from the table below.

Student Contribution Amounts for 2026 Enrolment

Students who commenced a course whose first census date is on or after 1 January 2021

Discipline	Band	Amount per EFTSL*	Amount per 4.5-unit topic
Agriculture, Clinical Psychology, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Nursing, Statistics, Teaching	Band 1	$4,738	$592
Allied Health, Behavioural Sciences (1), Built Environment, Engineering, Environmental Studies, IT, Other Health, Pathology, Science, Social Studies (3), Surveying, Visual and Performing Arts	Band 3	$9,537	$1,192
Dental, Medical, Veterinary Science	Band 4	$13,558	$1,694
Accounting, Administration, Arts, Behavioural Sciences (2), Commerce, Communications, Economics, Humanities, Law, Management, Social Studies (4)	Band 6	$17,399	$2,174

*    Equivalent Full Time Student Load

1    Behavioural Sciences topics that are being taken as part of a course that leads to a degree in Psychology recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia.

2    Behavioural Sciences topics that are being studied but not as part of a course that contributes to a degree recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia.

3    Social Studies topics that are being taken as part of a course that leads to a degree in social work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

4    Social Studies topics that are being studied but not as part of a course that leads to a degree in social work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Grandfathered Students

You may be eligible for the grandfathered student contribution amount if:

you are enrolled in a course that you commenced with Flinders before 1 January 2021; or

you enrolled in a course of study on or before 31 December 2020 and, on or after 1 January 2021, you commence another course that relates to the earlier course and leads to an award that is an honours degree; or

you were undertaking, in 2020, an enabling course and, on or after 1 January 2021, you commence another course of study that is leading to an award; or

you were undertaking, in 2020, a course of study leading to an undergraduate certificate (UC) and, on or after 1 January 2021, you commence another course of study that relates to the UC course and that is leading to an award that is a bachelor’s degree. 

Discipline	Band	Amount per EFTSL*	Amount per 4.5-unit topic
Agriculture, Clinical Psychology, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Nursing, Statistics, Teaching	Band 1	$4,738	$592
Arts, Behavioural Sciences, Humanities, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts	Band 2	$8,164	$1,020
Allied Health, Built Environment, Engineering, Environmental Studies, IT, Other Health, Science, Surveying, Pathology	Band 3	$9,537	$1,192
Dental, Medical, Veterinary Science	Band 4	$13,558	$1,694
Accounting, Administration, Commerce, Economics, Law, Management	Band 5	$13,624	$1,703

*    Equivalent Full Time Student Load  

Professional Pathway Topics

Professional Pathway topics are:

Behavioural Science topics that contribute to a course that leads to a bachelor’s degree or honours degree in psychology, with a course structure that makes it compulsory to study the units relevant to professional registration as a psychologist by the Psychology Board of Australia, and which itself represents a pathway to professional registration as a psychologist; or are

Human Welfare Studies and Services topics that contribute to courses of study that lead to a bachelor degree, honours degree or master’s degree in:

social work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers;
youth work accredited by Youth Work Australia;
counselling accredited by the Australian Counsellors Association and/or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia; and
community work accredited by the Australian Community Workers Association.

Student Contribution Amounts for 2025 Enrolment

Students who commenced a course whose first census date is on or after 1 January 2021

Discipline	Band	Amount per EFTSL*	Amount per 4.5-unit topic
Agriculture, Clinical Psychology, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Nursing, Statistics, Teaching	Band 1	$4,627	$578
Allied Health, Behavioural Sciences (1), Built Environment, Engineering, Environmental Studies, IT, Other Health, Pathology, Science, Social Studies (3), Surveying, Visual and Performing Arts	Band 3	$9,314	$1,164
Dental, Medical, Veterinary Science	Band 4	$13,241	$1,655
Accounting, Administration, Arts, Behavioural Sciences (2), Commerce, Communications, Economics, Humanities, Law, Management, Social Studies (4)	Band 6	$16,992	$2,124

*    Equivalent Full Time Student Load

1    Behavioural Sciences topics that are being taken as part of a course that leads to a degree in Psychology recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia.

2    Behavioural Sciences topics that are being studied but not as part of a course that contributes to a degree recognised for registration by the Psychology Board of Australia.

3    Social Studies topics that are being taken as part of a course that leads to a degree in social work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

4    Social Studies topics that are being studied but not as part of a course that leads to a degree in social work accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers.

Grandfathered Students

You may be eligible for the grandfathered student contribution amount if:

you are enrolled in a course that you commenced with Flinders before 1 January 2021; or

you enrolled in a course of study on or before 31 December 2020 and, on or after 1 January 2021, you commence another course that relates to the earlier course and leads to an award that is an honours degree; or

you were undertaking, in 2020, an enabling course and, on or after 1 January 2021, you commence another course of study that is leading to an award; or

Discipline	Band	Amount per EFTSL*	Amount per 4.5-unit topic
Agriculture, Clinical Psychology, Education, English, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Nursing, Statistics, Teaching	Band 1	$4,627	$578
Arts, Behavioural Sciences, Humanities, Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts	Band 2	$7,973	$996
Allied Health, Built Environment, Engineering, Environmental Studies, IT, Other Health, Science, Surveying, Pathology	Band 3	$9,314	$1,164
Dental, Medical, Veterinary Science	Band 4	$13,241	$1,655
Accounting, Administration, Commerce, Economics, Law, Management	Band 5	$13,305	$1,663

*    Equivalent Full Time Student Load  

Is there a limit on the amount of time I can be enrolled as a Commonwealth supported student?

Yes. From 2022, all students will start with access to the equivalent of seven years of full-time study in a CSP. 

As you undertake study as a Commonwealth supported student, your Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) will reduce - and when you run out, you may have to pay full fees. Study undertaken as a Commonwealth Supported student prior to 1 January 2022 will not reduce this seven-year limit.

What if I’m not eligible for CSP?

Depending on your individual circumstances, you may still be able to access financial assistance to study at Flinders University. Feel free to book a chat with us to learn more.

Or, if you are simply wanting to study a course that doesn’t offer CSP (most CSPs are for undergraduate study only), learn more about Fee-Paying Student Tuition Fees.