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Commonwealth supported places and HELP Loans

Commonwealth supported places

Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is a place in a course with lower tuition fees. If you are in a CSP, part of your tuition has been subsidised by the Australian government so you pay less.

If you are enrolled in an undergraduate degree, you will be awarded a CSP if you are:

  • An Australian citizen, who will live and study in Australia for at least part of your course
  • An Australian permanent resident, who will live and study in Australia for the duration of your course; or
  • A New Zealand citizen, who will live and study in Australia for the duration of your course

Students who are offered a CSP place may also utilise HECS-HELP to cover their student contribution amounts if they meet the eligibility criteria under the loan program.

Curtin also offers CSPs for a small number of postgraduate courses. If you are enrolled in a postgraduate course, please contact Curtin Connect to check whether CSPs are offered.

If you are eligible, you will automatically be offered a CSP in your course. You will then need to confirm your place by:

  • Enrolling in a Commonwealth supported unit before the census date
  • Ensuring you meet the residency requirements listed above (live and study in Australia as required for your citizenship or residency status), and
  • Submitting a valid electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) before the due date of the study period you are enrolled in

You can find more information about Commonwealth supported places on the StudyAssist website.

Domestic fee paying and not-for-degree places

A domestic fee paying place is a place that is not subsidised by the Australian government. If you are enrolled as a domestic fee paying student, you must pay the full cost of your course. You may be eligible to use a FEE-HELP loan to pay your fees, if you meet the relevant criteria as outlined below.

If you undertake individual units at Curtin, rather than a full course, you will be enrolled as a not-for-degree student and must pay your full fees upfront when you enrol.

Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)

The Australian government’s Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) offers loans to eligible domestic students studying at university. There are four HELP loans available, which allow you to defer payment of your tuition and/or Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF):

If you are a New Zealand citizen, you must meet the Special Category Visa (SCV) and residency requirements to be eligible for a HELP loan:

If you are eligible and wish to use a HELP loan to pay your fees, you must complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) by the due date of the study period you’re enrolled in:

If you choose to use a HELP loan, the Australian government pays your tuition fees directly to Curtin and a HELP debt is recorded for you with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) against your tax file number (TFN).

If you have used a HELP loan to pay all or part of your tuition and/or Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) for a study period, you will be issued an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Notice (eCAN):

You can find more information about HELP loans on the StudyAssist website.