What is a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)?
In a CSP, your course fees are split into two parts:
- Commonwealth contribution: paid by the Australian Government directly to Murdoch.
- Student contribution: paid by you, either upfront or deferred with a HECS-HELP loan.
The amount you pay depends on the units you study. The government sets the student contribution amount for each unit. All Bachelor degree courses, Fee Free Uni Ready (FFUR) courses, and selected Postgraduate courses are CSP eligible.
Estimate your fees with our Fee calculator.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for a CSP, you need to be enrolled in a course that offers CSPs and be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen, completing most of your course in Australia
- a New Zealand citizen who will live in Australia while you study
- a permanent visa holder, including a permanent humanitarian visa holder, who will live in Australia while you study.
If you're unsure about your eligibility, our Meet Murdoch team can help answer your questions.
Temporary visa holders, and most provisional residents, aren't eligible and pay international fees.
Permanent visa holders may be eligible for a CSP, but not for a HECS-HELP loan.
How do I apply?
If you receive an offer for an eligible course, you'll be asked to complete a Commonwealth Assistance Form (CAF) before the census date. If you transfer to another course that offers CSPs, you'll need to complete a new form.
You'll also need your Tax File Number (TFN), or proof that you've applied for one, if you intend to access a HECS-HELP loan to defer your student contribution.
See census dates.
Postgraduate courses with CSPs
CSPs can make postgraduate study more affordable. View the eligible courses for 2027.
Defer your fees with a HELP loan
The Australian Government’s Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) allows you to defer payment of fees, instead of paying upfront.
If you are deferring fee payments to a HELP loan, you must complete an ECAF in MyInfo > Course details and provide your valid tax file number before the census date.
If you are an If you are an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder, a Pacific engagement visa holder (PEV) or New Zealand special category visa holder enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place you may be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan.
HECS-HELP allows you to defer the payment of your student contribution, which is the portion of the fees that you are required to pay.
For more information see StudyAssist HECS-HELP.
If you are a domestic student enrolled in a full fee-paying course you may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan, which allows you to defer payment of part or all of your tuition fees.
You may be eligible for FEE-HELP if you have not exceeded the HELP loan limit and:
- you are an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder, a Pacific engagement visa holder (PEV) or New Zealand special category visa holder studying a full fee-paying course
- you are a permanent resident studying a bridging course for overseas-trained professionals and will be resident in Australia for the duration of the study.
For more information, including full details on eligibility and bridging study, see Study Assist FEE-HELP.
If you are an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder, a Pacific engagement visa holder (PEV) or New Zealand special category visa holder you may be eligible for an SA-HELP loan.
SA-HELP allows you to defer payment of your student services and amenities fee and add the amount to your accumulated HELP debt. You can apply for SA-HELP even if you do not have any other HELP loans.
To defer your SSAF payments with SA-HELP you need to complete an SA-HELP assistance form in MyInfo > Course details and submit it on or before the payment due date.
You only need to apply for SA-HELP once for each course you study.
For more information see Study Assist SA-HELP.
If you are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place and will be taking part in a study abroad or exchange program or outgoing cross-institutional enrolment overseas you may be eligible for OS-HELP.
OS-HELP is a loan designed to help students studying part of their course overseas pay for airfares, accommodation or other travel costs associated with your overseas study.
To be eligible for an OS-HELP loan, you must:
- have been selected by your provider to receive an OS‑HELP loan
- be an Australian citizen or a permanent humanitarian visa holder or a Pacific engagement visa holder (PEV) or New Zealand special category visa holder who meets the residency requirements
- have not received an OS‑HELP loan on more than one other occasion
- be enrolled with a provider as a Commonwealth supported student and have completed one EFTSL of study (usually one year of full-time study), in Australia that counts towards the course you are enrolled in
- be studying full-time overseas and this study will count towards the course requirements for the Australian course you are enrolled in
- have at least 0.125 EFTSL of your course left to complete once you have finished your overseas study – usually one unit of study
- have a valid tax file number (TFN) at the time of applying
- have successfully submitted an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF*); and
- have read the OS-HELP Statement of terms and conditions.
*You will be invited to complete an ECAF if you are eligible for OS-HELP.
For more information see Study Assist OS-HELP and overseas study.
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