If you are admitted to UTS as a Commonwealth supported student, you hold a Commonwealth supported place (CSP). This means that the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your education and you pay the balance through student contributions.

Commonwealth supported places are available to domestic students in:

  • all undergraduate courses, and
  • a small number of postgraduate courses by coursework.

As a Commonwealth supported student you are required to pay student contributions for each unit of study.

In addition to student contributions you may also be required to pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee

Residency requirements for CSP

To be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) you must be either:

  • an Australian citizen AND study at least one subject contributing to your course within Australia*
  • a permanent visa holder or a New Zealand citizen AND be a resident in Australia for the duration of your subject.

Student Learning Entitlement

From 1 January 2022, the Australian government re-introduced Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). This means you can study for up to 7 years (or 7 EFTSL) in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). One year of full-time study is called an Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL). Any study you do in a CSP counts towards your SLE. Please note as you undertake study as a Commonwealth-supported student at any higher education provider, your SLE balance will reduce by the EFTSL value of the units you undertake.

Your SLE amount is available in myHELPbalance. You will need your USI or CHESSN, Student ID number and personal details to log in to the website.  Please ensure you check your myHELPbalance to confirm you have an adequate balance for your studies.

If you exhaust your SLE, you will no longer be eligible for CSP and will be withdrawn from any subject/s and may only continue your study as a full-fee student. This will be subject to meeting the academic progression requirements outlined in Section 10 of the UTS Student Rules.

For more details on SLE and how it impacts your tuition fees, visit Study Assist.

What if I need additional SLE?

There are two forms of SLE that you may be eligible to access if you have exceeded your initial balance, 'Additional SLE’ and ‘Lifelong SLE’. These can help enable you to undertake Honours and graduate coursework courses for which CSPs are available.

Additional SLE

Additional SLE is available to students:

  • Enrolled in long undergraduate courses (i.e. where the normal course load is more than 6 EFTSL, 6 years of full-time study).
  • Undertaking an Honours course that is 1 EFTSL or less.
  • Undertaking graduate coursework courses, or graduate entry bachelor courses, for which CSPs are offered.

The amount of ‘Additional SLE’ depends on the normal course load, and if you have already started to use previously allocated Additional SLE. Additional SLE can be used once your first 7 ordinary EFTSL entitlement has been used.

Lifelong SLE

  • Lifelong SLE of 3 EFTSL (3 years of full-time study or part-time equivalent) is available to students who need to retrain later in life (time limits apply).
  • A separate Lifelong SLE allocation is available if completing a course will take longer as it’s been restructured.
  • Lifelong SLE can be used once your initial 7 ordinary EFTSL entitlement and any Additional SLE has been used.

CSP student contributions

The Australian Government’s Job-ready Graduates Higher Education Reform Package was passed in Parliament on 19 October 2020.

This Bill includes changes on student contribution rates, FEE-HELP loan fees, HECS- HELP up-front payment discount, Tertiary Access payments (TAP) and more.