Fees

Subject fees

To make things simpler, with us you pay for your studies on a subject-by-subject basis.

Your subject fees depend on the subject you’re studying, and your citizenship or residency status. Look at the pricing information on each subject page to understand your subject fees.

Your fees may vary depending on your enrolment—for example, whether you’re a domestic student using FEE-HELP, a Commonwealth supported place student using HECS-HELP or an international student.

Domestic student fees

We consider you a domestic student if you’re an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or if you hold any category of permanent Australian visa.

Paying for subjects using HECS-HELP

If you’re a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) student, the Australian Government pays part of your fees:

• The amount the government pays is called the ‘Commonwealth contribution amount’.
• The remaining amount is paid by students and it’s called the ‘Student contribution amount’. It's a deferred payment using HECS-HELP.

How the student contribution is calculated

Your contribution varies depending on your subject’s field of study. The Australian Government groups fields of study into funding clusters. For each funding cluster, they list the amount they’ll pay, and the amount you’ll pay. You can check the full list at the Department of Education Funding Clusters and Indexed Rates page.

For example, this table shows funding clusters, maximum student contribution amounts, and Commonwealth contribution amounts for popular subjects in 2024.

2024 maximum student contribution amounts - summary table

^These amounts are only indicative costs per subject for new CSP students. The amounts may vary depending on the university you choose. The amounts don’t include services and amenities fees, incidental fees (such as lab coats or art supplies), or the cost of your textbooks.

International student fees

You’re classed as an international student if you’re not a permanent resident of Australia, and you’re a citizen of a country other than Australia or New Zealand. Even if you've got temporary residency in Australia, you're still considered an international student.

Generally, fees for international students are slightly higher than domestic students, but the amounts can vary depending on the university teaching your subject.

Administration fees

Sometimes admin fees might apply to your enrolment—your subject fees don’t cover these additional costs.

Student services and amenities fee

Sometimes universities charge a student services and amenities fee (SSAF) for things like employment and career advice, wellbeing support, and financial advice.

If you’re studying a full degree through Open Universities Australia with any of the universities in the table below, you might need to pay SSAF. To make things simpler, your uni will invoice you directly and you can arrange payment with them. The fee has a yearly maximum amount, and for eligible students, there’s a loan available to help pay the fee.

SSAF loan

SA-HELP is the Australian Government’s loan to help eligible students pay for all or part of the SSAF. You’re likely eligible for SA-HELP if you’re using HECS-HELP.

To learn more, visit StudyAssist or contact your uni for details of their policy about SA-HELP.

Fees for withdrawing from your subjects

If you withdraw from a subject, you may have to pay a financial penalty. It all depends on the date you make your request:

Check Key dates to find your close of enrolment and census dates.

Current students can withdraw from subjects in the Student Hub.

How to pay

You can pay for your subjects when you’re enrolling online. Options include paying by credit card, or choosing from the government funding options available.

Government funding

Eligible students studying through OUA can apply for HELP loans, which allow you to defer paying your tuition fees until your income reaches the minimum threshold. Then you simply repay your loan as you pay your taxes.

There are currently two types of HELP loan available:

FEE-HELP is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students. You apply for a loan on a subject-by-subject basis. Simply select your subjects and choose Enrol in your selected single subjects, when asked, and then follow the steps. For postgraduate students, just select your degree and subjects and follow the online steps.
Find out more about FEE-HELP student loans.

HECS-HELP is a loan scheme for eligible Commonwealth supported place students, and is available when you successfully apply online for a place in your degree. When you have selected your degree and the subjects you want to start with, choose Apply for entry into the degree and follow the steps. Your application is reviewed and sent to the university. If you are offered a place in the degree, you will be sent an email, asking you to log back into the Student Hub to accept the offer and finalise your loan.
Find out more about HECS-HELP student loans.

Have a question about your HELP loan or repayments? Visit StudyAssist for more information.

Upfront payment

If you’re a postgraduate student or you’re studying single subjects, you don’t have to take out a loan—you can pay your fees straight away by credit card. We accept Visa and MasterCard. Just sign in to your Student Hub to make secure online credit card payments, or contact a student advisor. For Commonwealth supported place students, you’ll need to go through HECS-HELP and then, if you want to pay upfront, you can do this through your uni.

We're here to guide you there

Our student advisors can assist you with enrolment, help you plan your studies, and answer questions about how studying through Open Universities Australia can get you from where you are today, to where you want to be tomorrow.

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