Commonwealth Supported Fees

Fee information for students in a commonwealth supported place.

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AGSM students working together outside in the courtyard setting on campus

Commonwealth supported places

Commonwealth supported places are competitive and are only available to domestic students. 
For more information on Commonwealth support eligibility, please refer to Commonwealth Assistance.

2025 Commonwealth supported place (CSP) costs

The Australian Government introduced a range of measures that came into effect from 2021 under the Job Ready Graduates Package. The measures include changes to student contribution rates, FEE-HELP loan fees, Tertiary Access payments (TAP) and more.

Student contribution amounts for Commonwealth supported places (CSP) depend on when you commenced your current program at UNSW. The 2025 CSP costs for each group are outlined below.

Note: Courses are charged based on relevant content which means, in some cases, the band amount may vary. Please refer to the UNSW Handbook for details.

  • The below table displays the UNSW tuition fee for a Commonwealth supported student, called 'student contribution amounts'. These amounts are shown per Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL), which is one year of standard full-time study (i.e. 48 units of credit); and per 6 units of credit (or 0.125 EFTSL) which is a standard course load at UNSW. 

    Note: The cost will vary with the amount of units of credit attached to a course. In addition to tuition fees, UNSW will charge a Student Services & Amenities Fee.

    2025 student contribution bands Amount per EFTSL Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
    Band 4: Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Society and Culture or Communications $16,992 $2,124
    Band 3: Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science $13,241 $1,655
    Band 2: Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing or Visual and Performing Arts, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science $9,314 $1,164

    Band 2: Professional pathway psychology, Professional pathway social work

    Applies only to compulsory units in Behavioural Science with an FOE code of 0907 or Human Welfare Studies and Services units with an FOE code of 0905 that contribute to professional registration or accreditation in the respective field with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

    $9,314 (cost subject to conditions) $1,164 (cost subject to conditions)
    Band 1: Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics, Foreign Languages or Agriculture $4,627 $578
    • 2025 student contribution bands
      Band 4: Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics, Commerce, Society and Culture or Communications
      Amount per EFTSL
      $16,992
      Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      $2,124
    • 2025 student contribution bands
      Band 3: Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science
      Amount per EFTSL
      $13,241
      Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      $1,655
    • 2025 student contribution bands
      Band 2: Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing or Visual and Performing Arts, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science
      Amount per EFTSL
      $9,314
      Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      $1,164
    • 2025 student contribution bands

      Band 2: Professional pathway psychology, Professional pathway social work

      Applies only to compulsory units in Behavioural Science with an FOE code of 0907 or Human Welfare Studies and Services units with an FOE code of 0905 that contribute to professional registration or accreditation in the respective field with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

      Amount per EFTSL
      $9,314 (cost subject to conditions)
      Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      $1,164 (cost subject to conditions)
    • 2025 student contribution bands
      Band 1: Education, Postgraduate Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics, Foreign Languages or Agriculture
      Amount per EFTSL
      $4,627
      Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      $578
  • 2021 Grandfathering arrangements

    The costs in this section are grandfathered, this means costs are based on pre-2021 changes to funding.

    Grandfathering arrangements will be in place for students who would see an increase in their student contribution amounts. Under these arrangements, students who commenced their course of study (program) before 1 January 2021 facing increased student contribution amounts for a unit of study (course), will instead have their student contribution and Australian Government contribution amounts remain as they were under the previous arrangements (with existing rates being indexed by CPI each year).

    If continuing students are enrolled in units of study (courses) that will see their student contribution amount lowered, their student contributions will be the lowered amount and the Australian Government contribution would be the new rate.

      • The Australian Government has (currently) advised that a student may be eligible for a grandfathering arrangement under the Job Ready Graduates Package, if any of the following apply;

        • you began your program (your ongoing program) with a UNSW before the commencement day (1 January 2021) but you have not completed your ongoing program immediately before that day;
        • you completed your program (your earlier program) with UNSW before the commencement day (1 January 2021) and, on or after that day, you began your honours program with UNSW that relates to the earlier program and that is leading to a higher education award that is an honours degree;
        • you were undertaking, in 2020, an enabling program and, on or after the commencement day (1 January 2021), you began another program that is leading to a higher education award; and
        • you were, at any time before the commencement day, a Commonwealth supported student in relation to course in the ongoing program, earlier program or enabling program (as the case may be); and
        • you undertake a course as part of the ongoing program, honours program or later program (as the case may be) that has a census date that is on or after the commencement day (1 January 2021); and
        • that unit of study is a grandfathered unit.
        • Any student who began their program (with a census date after the commencement day of 1 January 2021) where;
          • you were not undertaking, in 2020, an enabling program; or
          • you are not commencing an honours program (after the commencement day of 1 January 2021) with UNSW after completing a bachelor degree with UNSW in a related degree (before the commencement day of 1 January 2021).
        • Any student who changes program after the commencement day of 1 January 2021. You must remain in your original program (where you began your studies prior to the commencement day of 1 January 2021) to remain eligible for the grandfathering arrangements; 
          • this includes moving from a dual/double/combined degree to a single degree. Any change to your program code due to a shift to or from single/dual/double/combined degrees will forfeit your eligibility for grandfathering of your tuition. 
        • Students in a domestic fee paying program that apply for a transfer to a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) in the same program, where the first census date in their CSP is after the commencement date of 1 January 2021. 
        • Students in an international fee paying program that apply for a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) in the same program, due to a residency change, where the first census date in their CSP is after the commencement date of 1 January 2021. 

        UNSW defines the following legislative phrases;

        Course of Study Program
        Unit of Study Course
        Commencement Day The effective date of the legislation, 1 January 2021. This will apply to any census date on or after 1 January 2021.
    • The below table displays the UNSW tuition fee for a Commonwealth supported student, called 'student contribution amounts'. These amounts are shown per Equivalent Full-Time Study Load (EFTSL), which is one year of standard full-time study (i.e. 48 units of credit); and per 6 units of credit (or 0.125 EFTSL) which is a standard course load at UNSW. 

      Note: The cost will vary with the amount of units of credit attached to a course. In addition to tuition fees, UNSW will charge a Student Services & Amenities Fee.

      2025 student contribution bands Amount per EFTSL Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
      Band 4 grandfathered: Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics or Commerce $13,305 $1,663
      Band 3: Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science $13,241 $1,655
      Band 2 grandfathered: Society and Culture, Communications, Visual and Performing Arts $7,973 $996
      Band 2: Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science $9,314 $1,164

      Band 2 grandfathered: Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work

      Applies only to compulsory units in Behavioural Science with an FOE code of 0907 or Human Welfare Studies and Services units with an FOE code of 0905 within the respective program, that contribute to professional registration or accreditation in the respective field with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

      $7,973 (cost subject to conditions) $996 (cost subject to conditions)
      Band 1: Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics, Nursing, Foreign Languages or Agriculture $4,627 $578
      • 2025 student contribution bands
        Band 4 grandfathered: Law, Accounting, Administration, Economics or Commerce
        Amount per EFTSL
        $13,305
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $1,663
      • 2025 student contribution bands
        Band 3: Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science
        Amount per EFTSL
        $13,241
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $1,655
      • 2025 student contribution bands
        Band 2 grandfathered: Society and Culture, Communications, Visual and Performing Arts
        Amount per EFTSL
        $7,973
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $996
      • 2025 student contribution bands
        Band 2: Allied Health, Other Health, Built Environment, Computing, Engineering, Surveying, Environmental Studies or Science
        Amount per EFTSL
        $9,314
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $1,164
      • 2025 student contribution bands

        Band 2 grandfathered: Professional Pathway Psychology or Professional Pathway Social Work

        Applies only to compulsory units in Behavioural Science with an FOE code of 0907 or Human Welfare Studies and Services units with an FOE code of 0905 within the respective program, that contribute to professional registration or accreditation in the respective field with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

        Amount per EFTSL
        $7,973 (cost subject to conditions)
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $996 (cost subject to conditions)
      • 2025 student contribution bands
        Band 1: Education, Clinical Psychology, English, Mathematics or Statistics, Nursing, Foreign Languages or Agriculture
        Amount per EFTSL
        $4,627
        Amount per 6 units of credit (0.125 EFTSL)
        $578

      Please note, not all disciplines are subject to grandfathering.

      Disciplines not listed as grandfathered in this table are charged at the 2023 Student contribution charges (commencing) rate to all students, continuing and commencing, as they have not increased beyond standard indexation and in some cases may be lower.

Calculating your CSP fees

Your student contribution depends on your course's unit valueband, and the standard EFTSL (full-time study load).
Below is an example for a 6 UOC course in Band 1.

To determine the charge for a 6-unit course in Band 1, the following calculation is applied:

  1. Divide 6 units of credit by 48, which represents a full-time study load (EFTSL).
  2. Multiply the result by the student contribution band charge, set at $4,627.

This calculation yields the charge per course, amounting to $578.

Course units of credit EFTSL in units of credit Student contribution band charge Charge per course
6   ÷ 48   × $4,627  = $578
  • Course units of credit
    6   ÷
    EFTSL in units of credit
    48   ×
    Student contribution band charge
    $4,627  =
    Charge per course
    $578

You can find the units of credit per course in the UNSW Handbook.
The EFTSL at UNSW is currently always 48.

Professional Pathway Programs

From 2021, the Australian Government introduced professional pathway degrees for psychology and social work (including youth work, counselling and community work). These are accredited programs that lead to professional registration and employment in the field.

Students at UNSW Sydney Kensington campus

Programs offered and fees

UNSW offers professional pathway programs in Psychology and Social Work that lead to accredited qualifications required for professional registration in Australia.

The following degrees are recognised as professional pathway programs in Psychology:

  • 3435 Bachelor of Psychological Science
  • 4518 Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
  • 3799 Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice / Bachelor of Psychological Science
  • 4722 Bachelor of Psychological Science / Bachelor of Law
  • 3798 Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice / Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
  • 4721 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) / Bachelor of Law
  • 3632 Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)

These degrees include compulsory Behavioural Science units (Field of Education codes starting with 0907) required for registration as a psychologist by the Psychology Board of Australia.

The following degrees are recognised as professional pathway programs in Social Work:

  • 4033 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
  • 4045 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Arts
  • 4787 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Law
  • 4034 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice
  • 3322 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Social Science*
  • 4046 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Social Sciences
  • 4044 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) / Bachelor of Social Research and Policy (no new intake)

Program 3322 was formerly 4044. Students still enrolled under 4044 remain eligible for Professional Pathway charging.

These degrees include Human Welfare Studies and Services units (FOE codes starting with 0905) accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).

 Want to find out more about your tuition fees?

If you have any questions about studying at UNSW, your tuition fees and payments, contact us below. We’re here to help.