Handbook 2008

Fees and Financial Assistance

Fee Rules | Tuition Fees | Higher Education Loans Program (HELP) | Youth Allowance/Austudy/ABSTUDY | Student Loans

Fees Legislation

The Fee Rules provide details of Murdoch’s fees and charges. The Senate decides which types of fees and charges may be imposed, by listing them in the Fees Regulations. The Fees Regulations delegate to the Vice Chancellor the authority to decide all the subsidiary details about fees and charges, by making rules containing this information.

The Fee Rules, the Fees Regulations, and Statute No. 22 — Fees may be found on the University Legislation page:

http://www.murdoch.edu.au/admin/legsln/

Tuition Fees

Australian Students

Full details of the tuition fees for each unit of study, the tuition fees policy and the policy on refunds are available via the online Handbook.

Payment of tuition fees is normally required by the due date of the invoice or the census date. If fees remain unpaid as of the census date, the student’s enrolment may be cancelled and a late payment charge may be payable.

Some summer undergraduate units may be available only on a fee-paying basis.

International Students

All international students in Australia, other than exchange students and citizens of New Zealand, are required to pay the full cost of tuition.

The tuition fee payable by each student is as stated on the Letter of Offer. After the first semester of enrolment, payment of tuition fees is required by the end of week one of each semester. If fees remain unpaid at that date, the student’s enrolment may be cancelled or a late payment charge may be payable.

International students on a student visa must maintain a full-time study load of 12 points each semester and complete within the timeframes of their student visa. International students intending to modify their enrolment must confirm with Murdoch International prior to any change.

Murdoch International provides full details of the tuition fees policy and the policy on refunds to students when they first enrol at the University.

Unit Charges

In a small number of units students are required to pay a surcharge for special training or access to equipment, to purchase some of their own equipment (for example, a dissecting kit) for use during the unit, or to pay for their own food and accommodation at an optional field camp. Reference to this is made in the unit or course description. In addition, students are required to wear protective clothing and footwear in laboratories.

The authority to charge tuition and administrative charges is contained in the Fee Rules, the Fees Regulations, and Statute No. 22 — Fees.

Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP)

From 1 January 2005 all Australian Citizens and holders of permanent humanitarian visas are able to access loans to pay their tuition fees under the Higher Education Loan Programme — HELP. New Zealand citizens and other permanent visa holders can only receive HELP in certain circumstances (under transitional arrangements for continuing students or for bridging courses for overseas-trained professionals.)

HELP loans are repaid through the tax system on an income contingent basis. The minimum HELP repayment threshold for compulsory repayments is $38,148 (indexed) in 2006–2007, and the bonus for voluntary repayments is 10 per cent from 1 January 2005. The HELP loan debt is indexed according to the CPI and is otherwise interest free.

There are three types of HELP available for eligible students:

HECS–HELP — to assist eligible Commonwealth-supported students pay their student contribution. There are two types of HECS–HELP assistance: the HECS–HELP loan and the HECS–HELP discount;
FEE–HELP — to assist eligible fee-paying students pay their tuition fees; and
OS–HELP — to assist eligible Commonwealth-supported students who wish to study overseas.

All new and continuing students who wish to access HELP assistance are required to complete the appropriate Commonwealth Assistance Form before the census date for their first unit of study. All students wishing to access a HELP loan must provide their Tax File Number. Failure to fill out the correct form, or to provide their Tax File Number if accessing loan assistance, will result in cancellation of enrolment. When students change between different awards a new Commonwealth Assistance Form must be completed.

HECS–HELP

All students admitted to a ‘Commonwealth-supported place’ at Murdoch are required to pay a ‘student contribution amount’ towards the costs of their course, unless they are exempt. How the student contribution amount is paid depends on a student’s citizenship status.

Australian Citizens and permanent humanitarian visa holders are eligible for HECS–HELP assistance and can pay their student contribution in one of three ways:

Full-upfront payment and receive a 20 per cent HECS–HELP discount;
Partial up-front payment (with a 20 per cent HECS–HELP discount applicable on amounts of $500 or more) and obtain a HECS–HELP loan for the remainder; or
Obtain a HECS–HELP loan for the full amount.

Permanent humanitarian visa holders must reside in Australia for the duration of their course (unless otherwise required by the course) to access HECS–HELP assistance.

New Zealand citizens and other permanent resident visa holders are not eligible for HECS–HELP assistance and must pay their student contribution up front without a discount. Under transitional arrangements New Zealand citizens and other permanent resident visa holders who were enrolled prior to 2005 can continue their studies under the same eligibility conditions as applied before 2005.

Students are exempt from paying the student contribution if they have an Exemption Scholarship, a Research Training Scheme place, a Merit-Based Equity Scholarship, or are undertaking work experience in industry where the University is not providing learning and performance support.

FEE–HELP

All students admitted to a Domestic Tuition fee-paying place at Murdoch are required to pay tuition fees. How the student contribution amount is paid depends on a student’s citizenship status.

Australian Citizens and permanent humanitarian visa holders are eligible for FEE–HELP assistance and can pay their student contribution in one of three ways:

Full up-front payment;
Partial up-front payment and obtain a FEE–HELP loan for the remainder; or
Obtain a FEE–HELP loan for the full amount.

Permanent humanitarian visa holders must reside in Australia for the duration of their course (unless otherwise required by the course) to access FEE–HELP assistance.

Other permanent resident visa holders who are undertaking an eligible bridging course for overseas-trained professionals may access FEE–HELP assistance if they will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit of study.

New Zealand citizens and other permanent resident visa holders are not eligible for FEE–HELP assistance.

There is a lifetime limit of $80,000 for all courses except medicine, veterinary science and dentistry, for which the limit is $100,000 for FEE–HELP assistance. This limit is subject to the passage of legislation. The 2006 limit was $50,950.

A 20 per cent loan fee is applied to FEE-HELP loans provided for undergraduate courses. The loan fee does not count towards the limit.

OS–HELP

OS–HELP provides financial assistance to eligible Commonwealth-supported students who undertake part of their course overseas. OS–HELP is distinct from HECS–HELP and FEE–HELP in that it involves a cash payment directly to the student receiving the loan. Only a limited number of OS–LOANS are available and students are required to apply. Details on the application and selection process are available from the Office of Central Student Administration.

To be eligible for an OS–HELP loan

the student must be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa,
the student must be Commonwealth-supported and enrolled in an undergraduate course of study, and
the overseas study must count for credit towards the course.

Students cannot receive an OS–HELP loan for the first year or last semester of their course of study. Students may only receive up to two loans over their lifetime and may only receive up to $5,196 per loan. Loans are provided in respect of a six-month period and if a student receives two OS–HELP loans, the two six-month periods must not coincide or overlap. Because loans are in respect of a six-month period, rather than a unit of study, there is no census date for OS–HELP. Students incur their OS–HELP debts the day they are paid their loan amount — this day is the ‘OS–HELP debt incurral date’. A 20 per cent loan fee is applied to all OS–HELP loans.

Youth Allowance/Austudy/ABSTUDY

Full-time students enrolled in an approved course could be eligible for the Commonwealth Government’s Youth Allowance and Austudy schemes. Students of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent may apply for comparable assistance under the ABSTUDY scheme.

Further information about Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY is available from the nearest Student Assistance Centre of Centrelink.

Murdoch Student Loans

Students may apply for emergency cash loans of up to $200 from the Murdoch Student Loan Fund. Such loans must normally be repaid within two weeks. Longer-term loans of up to $1000 are also available from the Murdoch Student Loan Fund (repayable within one year). Application forms are available at the Student Equity Office.

Loans are not given to assist in the payment of Murdoch University fees; students experiencing difficulty in paying fees should apply for an extension instead. Extensions to the payment date for HECS–HELP are not permitted by Commonwealth legislation.