going to university TAFE/VET pathways - Flinders University

20
funding your
education
Higher education is an investment, one which offers
excellent professional career prospects and develops
graduate skills that can be applied in all aspects of life.
Study costs
All undergraduate courses at Flinders
University are Commonwealth
supported for eligible students. Being
a Commonwealth supported student
means the cost of studying at university
is shared between the Commonwealth
Government and you. It is important to
know that eligible students do not have
to pay upfront for their university fees.
Most eligible students choose to borrow
the money from the Commonwealth
Government, through the HECS-HELP
Scheme and pay the loan back once they
are earning over the declared income
threshold for that year ($43,157 in 2009).
For many students, this means that they
will not start repaying the loan until they
gain full-time employment.
Alternatively, you can pay the student
contribution upfront, in which case eligible
students will receive a 20% discount.
Eligible students
Students who are Australian citizens
or holders of permanent humanitarian
visas are eligible for a HECS-HELP
loan and do not have to pay their fees
upfront. Permanent residents and New
Zealand citizens must normally pay
their fees upfront and are not eligible
for a discount.
How are student
contribution amounts
calculated?
The table (page 21) shows the annual
student contribution for a normal fulltime
study load (36 units) by subject
area. Student contribution amounts are
charged based on the topics you enrol in
and what band these topics fall under.
Each topic is typically worth 3, 4.5, 6 or
9 units. A three-year degree at Flinders
is 108 units. Most students will study
topics from two or more of these bands.
For example, if you are undertaking a
double degree in Education and Science,
your education topics are charged at the
national priority rate, whilst science topics
are charged at the rate for Band 2. This
means that you would incur a student
contribution amount of $663 for a fi rstyear
education topic (4.5 units), but $531
for a fi rst-year science topic (4.5 units).
More information
Full details of the HECS-HELP scheme,
your eligibility and repayment options
are available at the Going to Uni website
www.goingtouni.gov.au
If you are unsure of your eligibility for
HECS-HELP or would like additional
information on how this is calculated
please contact Student Finance Services on
8201 3143 or email fees@fl inders.edu.au
Other costs
Most courses require textbooks or
related materials. The cost of a book can
vary but may be in excess of $100.
Flinders has bookshops on campus that
supply the required texts, both new
and second hand. Multiple copies of
some set texts are also available in the
library. Many students also sell their
books second hand, which can assist in
reducing the cost of required texts.
Some courses may require the purchase
of additional items such as uniforms for
clinical placements in a nursing course
or laboratory coats and safety glasses for
science courses.
Some topics will require fi eldwork and
excursions or out-of city placements.
This can include expenses such as
transport, accommodation and food. There
is some assistance from Flinders for such
activities but allowances should be made
for these costs. You can fi nd out about
these costs when you research the course.