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Coursework Studies Section

Commonwealth Supported Place

A Commonwealth Supported Place is a higher education place for which the Australian Government makes a contribution to your education provider towards the cost of your education. If you are enrolled in a unit as a Commonwealth supported student you will be required to contribute to the cost of your education through a student contribution.

If you are an Australian citizen or a permanent resident (humanitarian visa status) in a Commonwealth Supported place then you are entitled to

  1. A HECS-HELP Loan - a loan for all or part of the student contribution amount to be repaid through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). You must provide your Tax File Number to the University by the census date. Repayment will commence once your income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment. For 2012 the threshold is set at $47,196.
  2. HECS-HELP Discount - a payment of at least $500 towards a student contribution before the census date entitles you to receive a 10% discount on the amount paid (including the first $500). You need only pay 90% of the total student contribution amount in any study period.

Eligibility for a Commonwealth Supported Place and HECS-HELP

You are eligible to be Commonwealth supported for a unit of study if you:

  • have received an offer of a Commonwealth Supported place for your course of study; and
  • enrol in the unit on or before the census date and remain enrolled at the end of the census date; and
  • submit a completed Request for Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP form (CAF Form); and
  • have a residency status of either
    • an Australian Citizen or
    • a New Zealand citizen who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit; or
    • the holder of a permanent visa who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit.
  • you are not eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place if after 1st January 2012 you have commenced a course of study that is primarily being undertaken at an overseas campus affiliated with Macquarie University. You will be assessed as a Domestic Fee Paying student. (This does now affect students in the Study Abroad Program).

You are eligible for HECS-HELP if you:

  • are enrolled in a unit of study as a Commonwealth supported student; and
  • meet the citizenship or residency requirements. That is, you must be
    • an Australian citizen
    • the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit

HECS-HELP entitles a student to:

  • receive a 10% discount for any amount paid in excess of $500 on or by the census date for the relevant study period. The discount will apply to all of the amount paid including the $500:
    • for instance a student who pays $500 has effectively paid $562.50
    • a student whose student contribution amount for the study period is $2,000 would only have to pay $1,800 ($2,000 X 90%) to pay their full fees.
  • Defer any amount of unpaid fees as at the census date to the Australian Taxation Office for collection under the taxation system. This is dependent on the student having supplied a Tax File Number to the University.
 

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Payment of Student Contribution amount to the University

If you are required to pay the Student Contribution Amount to the University (New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident (non-humanitarian visa holder) or you are a HECS-HELP student wishing to pay some or all of your contribution to the University then:

  • Any payment made to the University after the "Due Date" will attract a $200 late payment fee imposed by the University.
  • Failure to make payment to the University after the census date may result in cancellation of enrolment in unpaid units – this will not occur if HECS-HELP students have supplied their Tax File Number to the University.

For students enrolled in semester based units the "Due Date" is the Friday before the semester begins and the census dates are 31 March for Session 1 and 31 August for Session 2. The "Due Date" is about 4 weeks before the census date.

See Payment due dates for a list of Due Dates and Census Dates for non-session based courses in 2012.

For the Student Contribution Amounts for 2012 Enrolment click here.

In reality many students are not likely to be in this situation and the Student Contribution amount will need to be assessed on a unit by unit basis. Before determining the cost of a unit it is necessary to determine if you are under a Pre-status.

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Pre-status

As a Commonwealth supported student, you may be eligible for consideration as a ‘pre-status’ student.  Being classified as a pre-status student means that your fees in certain units may vary from the current years fees.

What is a pre-status?

The Government requires universities to place all units offered in one of 4 bands. The relative costs of each unit differ according to the Band it is in. The cheapest units are Band 4 (National Priority units). The fee for Bands 1-3 increase by each Band (eg Band 1 is cheaper then Band 2). From time to time the Government requires universities to change the Bands of certain categories of units. In doing so, the Government usually ensures that students already undertaking a course before the Band was changed continue to pay for any units at the Band the unit was under when they first commenced their course in a Commonwealth Supported place.

The basic rules applying to pre-status are:

  • You have an incomplete degree or course and have been provided an offer by Macquarie University to complete that degree or course in a Commonwealth Supported place.
  • You must have been enrolled in at least one unit of study since 2005 beyond the census date in a Commonwealth Supported place. Note this includes units where a ‘withdrawal’ status or ‘failed’ grade may have been awarded.

The following Table shows the changes to the Bands which the Government has announced:

Commenced Course Education and Nursing Mathematics, statistics and Science Accounting, Administration, Economics and Commerce

2010 

Band 1

National Priority

Band 3

2009 (pre-2010)

National Priority

National Priority

Band 3

2008 (pre-2009)

National Priority

Band 2

Band 3

Before 2008 (pre-2008)

National Priority

Band 2

Band 2

NB: If you commenced a non-science course before 2009 and transfered to a science course after 2008 you would have been charged at the Band 4 (National Priority) rate for mathematics, science & statistic units undertaken in the new course.

Examples.

  • Tom last studied a unit at Macquarie University in 2004 and has been accepted back into an incomplete Bachelor degree in 2012. Tom is not eligible for pre-status as he has not been enrolled in a unit since 2005.
  • Anwar last studied a unit at another university in 2007 and has been accepted into a Bachelor degree in 2012. Both the course at the other university and at Macquarie are Commonwealth Supported. He will be assessed as a pre-2008 student and the rates for the affected units are shown across the table.
  • Michelle last studied a unit at Macquarie University in 2009 and has been accepted into a Bachelor degree in 2012. She was admitted into the previous degree as a Domestic Fee Paying student but has now been re-admitted as a Commonwealth Supported student.. She in not eligible for pre-status as she has not been enrolled in a unit since 2005 in a Commonwealth Supported place.
  • Michael commenced a Bachelor degree in Psychology at Macquarie in 2008 in a Commonwealth Supported place. As such he is a pre-2009 student and any science units he subsequently enrols in will be charged at the Band 2 rate for 2009. However, in 2012 he transfers to a Science degree. Any science unit he enrols in from 2012 will be charged at the Band 4 (NPP) rate for 2012. 

Macquarie University can detect from its own records the pre-status of students in undergraduate courses who are:

  • Returning previous Macquarie students (ie have not been enrolled in a unit at Macquarie for a period of 12 months and who have not studied at another University since returning to Macquarie )
  • Being processed through course transfer.

Non Detection of Pre-Status

  • Macquarie University cannot detect from its records the pre-status of students previously admitted into a course which is different from the course they are now applying for. This includes students who have not been enrolled in a unit for more than 12 months and who have to re-apply for admission. In order for Macquarie University to assess you pre-status you need to complete the Request for Pre-Status Determination form

Macquarie University cannot detect the pre-status of students who are transferring from an incomplete degree or course commenced at another University. This includes students who are undertaking units as a Cross-Institutional student.  In order for Macquarie University to assess your pre-status, the University at which you commenced or are undertaking your degree or course must complete the Pre- Status Information Request

 

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Caculation of the Cost of a Unit in a Commonwealth Supported Place

There are 3 factors determining the cost of each unit;

  • The type of course you are enrolled in (as they have different credit point structures)
  • The credit point value for each unit; and
  • The Band assigned to the unit (taking into account the pre-status Band). If you are a student commencing a new course in 2012 you don't have a pre-status.

Step 1. Find and note the credit point value of each unit you are intending to enrol in by referring to Course Handbook Tab at the top of the Home Page. Then find the unit by referring to the Units of Study Tab on the left hand side under the headings Postgrad or U/G. Most units are either 3 or 4 credit points.

Step 2. Refer to University fees 2012

Step 3. Under the general heading 2012 Student Contribution Amounts select

  • Undergraduate Student Contribution (HECS) Bands – if you are in an undergraduate course (including Honours): or
  • Postgraduate Student Contribution (HECS Bands) if you are in a post-graduate course.

At the bottom of the relevant table, each unit is listed and Band status shown (taking into account your pre-status). Note the Band for each unit. For example the first category identifies Business and Economics Units and shows that they are Band 2 units (if you commenced your course before 2008) and Band 3 units (if you commenced your course from 2009).

Step 4. Under the general heading "2012 Student Contributions Amounts" on the main fees webpage select the type of course you are enrolled in:

  • Undergraduate Bachelor Degree
  • Undergraduate Honours Degree, Certificates and Diploma in Languages
  • Postgraduate course work degree

Calculate the cost of each unit by placing the credit point value for the unit against the Band for the unit (having taken regard of the Band level) in Step 3.

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Further Information

For more information regarding HECS-HELP and Commonwealth Supported Places please refer to the Commonwealth Supported Students booklet published by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

For more information regarding the fees and charges for Macquarie University please refer to our Student Contribution and Tuition Fees web page. University fees 2012

For more information on how and when to pay fees and charges please refer to the Office of Financial Services.

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