Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

Previously known as HECS

Changes in terminology

From 1 January 2005 the Higher Education Support Act 2003 came into effect to replace the Higher Education Funding Act 1988. As a consequence Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) have replaced the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). A summary of the change in terminology is as follows:

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) replaces HECS Places,
Student Contribution Amount (SCA) replaces HECS fees,
Contribution Bands replaces HECS Contribution Bands,
HECS-HELP replaces deferred HECS, and
Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) replaces the HECS Liability Notice.

Main differences between CSP and HECS

The main differences between CSP and HECS are:

Universities may set their own Student Contribution Amount (SCA) within ranges set by the government (only applicable to those who have not been assessed as a "pre-2005" student).
The upfront discount for payments to the University (over $500) has decreased from 25% to 20% (applicable to all students).
The discount for a voluntary repayment to the Australian Taxation Office (over $500) has decreased from 15% to 10% (applicable to all students).
Permanent Resident Visa Holders cannot choose their payment option and must pay upfront without the discount (only applicable to those who have not been assessed as a "pre-2005" student).

The full-time annual contribution for each band is available at the Fees Unit web site.

Part-time students will pay a pro-rata amount based on their study load (ie. EFTSL) and the contribution band/s of their units.

The SCA is calculated each semester on the census date. If you remain enrolled in a unit after the census date, you will incur an SCA liability regardless of whether or not you attended that unit. To avoid this liability, you must complete an 'Enrolment Amendment' form and discontinue the unit by the census date.

Australian citizens and permanent Humanitarian visa holders

If you are commencing, or transferring to a new Monash course, you will be automatically assessed according to the new legislation. However, if you have incurred a HECS liability (upfront or deferred) before 2005, you should read the Information on pre-2005 HECS eligiblity to ascertain if you may be assessed according to the previous legislation. Please note that if all your units are in the national priority areas of education or nursing you are already paying the lower rate for these units.

You must complete the 'Request for Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP' form via the Web Enrolment System (WES). Permanent Humanitarian visa holders must also submit a certified copy of their Humanitarian visa to the Student Service Centres.

Australian citizens and permanent Humanitarian visa holders will be entitled to make their SCA payment via the following methods:

full upfront payment to the University - with a 20% discount where the payment is over $500, or
partial upfront payment to the University - with a 20% discount where the payment is over $500, or
deferment of payment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) using HECS-HELP.

Any upfront or partial payments must be made by the due date shown on your 'Enrolment Details and Fee Statement'. If full payment has not been made by the census date and you wish to defer all, or part, of your debt to the ATO, you MUST supply your Tax File Number (TFN) to the University before your units' census date. If you have not paid in full and you have not supplied your TFN, your enrolment will be cancelled in accordance with federal legislation. If this occurs you will not be able to resume study in a Commonwealth supported place for the semester concerned.

If you choose the deferred payment option, your 'Enrolment Details and Fee Statement' will state the amount owed to the ATO. When your taxable income reaches a certain threshold you will commence repayments through the taxation system.The ATO will charge indexation on your deferred debt annually. You have the right to make payments directly to the ATO at any time.

New Zealand citizens and Australian Permanent Resident Visa (APRV) holders

If you are commencing, or transferring to a new Monash course, you will be automatically assessed according to the new legislation which requires you to pay your Student Contribution Amount (SCA) upfront to the University without a discount. However, if you have incurred a HECS liability (upfront or deferred) before 2005, you should read the Information on pre-2005 HECS eligibility to ascertain if you may be assessed according to the previous legislation. Please note that if all your units are in the national priority areas of education or nursing you are already paying the lower rate for these units.

You must complete the 'Request for Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP' form via the Web Enrolment System (WES). APRV holders should also provide a copy of their passport and visa. Full upfront payments must be made by the due date shown on your 'Enrolment Details and Fee Statement'. If payment has not been made by the census date your enrolment will be cancelled in accordance with federal legislation. If this occurs you will not be able to resume study in a Commonwealth supported place for the semester concerned.

If you have not been assessed as a "pre-2005" student you cannot obtain the upfront discount or defer payment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) until you have attended the citizenship ceremony and can provide a certified copy of your Australian citizenship certificate.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are a New Zealand citizen or the holder of an APRV you must be living in Australia during your studies. If you are studying via distance education while living overseas you are not eligible for a CSP and must pay full fees for your course. You may not access FEE-HELP.