Fees & Charges at CQUniversityWho Pays What and When and How?

Version: December 2012

What Fees Do I Pay?

• Your Offer of Admission letter states what fees you will be liable for. Either:– Student Contributions; or

– FEE-HELP; or

– Tuition Fees – Domestic Full Fee; or

– Tuition Fees – International Full Fee

• Students may also be liable to pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee.

Student Contributions

• The Australian Government funds Commonwealth supported places by paying grants to the University.

• You are required to contribute to the cost of your higher education through a Student Contribution.

Student Contributions (cont.)

• Most students* can choose how to pay their term Student Contributions. You can:– make a full up front payment by census date (receiving a

10% discount*); or

– make a partial up front payment and defer the remainder as a HECS-HELP loan* (a 10% discount is calculated on any payment of $500 or more); or

– defer payment of your total Student Contribution; taking out a HECS-HELP loan and repaying it later through the taxation system*

*This information does not apply to Australian Permanent Residents and New Zealand citizens. Whilst eligible for a Commonwealth supported place, Permanent Residents and New Zealand citizens are required to make a full up front payment of their Student Contribution amounts by census date each term.

Student Contributions (cont.)

• HECS-HELP is a loan program to help eligible Commonwealth supported students pay their Student Contribution amounts. Before 2005, this was known as HECS.

• HECS-HELP is not just a loan scheme. Under HECS-HELP, eligible students can also receive a 10%* discount when they pay $500 or more of their student contributions (for a study period) up front.

* From 1 January 2012, the Australian Government has lowered the HECS-HELP discount from 20% to 10% for up front Student Contribution payments of $500 or more.

Student Contributions (cont.)

• The HECS-HELP discount works by increasing the value of a person’s up front payment which means they will actually be required to pay less (if they pay their whole amount up front) or to take out a lower amount (if they make a partial up front payment and take out a loan for the rest).

Student Contributions (cont.)

• The Student Contribution amount depends on the courses you select, not the program you are enrolled in:– The calculation is based on the Student Contribution Band

a course is assigned to and the EFTSL* value of the course.

– The Band and the EFTSL value for each course offered by CQUniversity are detailed in the online Student Handbook at http://handbook.cqu.edu.au/Handbook/.

– Student Contribution amounts are detailed at http://www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/student-fees/fees-and-charges/student-contributions.

*Equivalent Full-Time Student Load

Student Contributions (cont.)

• Your Student Contribution is calculated for each course you are enrolled in.

• The fees for each course are then added together to get your total term Student Contribution (the 100% amount).

• The 10% discount is calculated for all eligible Commonwealth supported students.

• For eligible students, if payment in full is not made by census date, the discount is reversed and the 100% amount will be reported as a deferred debt*

*Eligible students must have submitted a valid Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form with their Tax File Number by census date to be eligible to defer their Student Contributions.

Student Contributions (cont.)

• If a partial payment of $500 or more is made by census date, the discount will be recalculated based on the payment made.

• For further information about Commonwealth support, Student Contributions and HECS-HELP, please read the Information for Commonwealth supported students and HECS-HELP booklet available at http://www.studyassist.gov.au/.

Tuition Fees

• Tuition Fees for both domestic and international students are reviewed each year and may increase.

• The CQUniversity Council approved Tuition Fee Schedules for each year are located at www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/student-fees/fees-and-charges.

Tuition Fees (cont.)

• Tuition Fees for each course you are enrolled in are calculated on the basis of:– your student group: domestic or international

– the campus you are enrolled at

– the discipline area of study for course/s you enrol in

– career: non-award, undergraduate, postgraduate or research

– units of credit of the course/s you enrol in

Tuition Fees (cont.)

• FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay their tuition fees. FEE-HELP can cover all or part of a student’s tuition fees up to a lifetime limit.

• For further information about FEE-HELP, please read the FEE-HELP Information booklet available at http://www.studyassist.gov.au/.

Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF)

• In October 2011, the Australian Parliament passed legislation allowing universities and other higher education providers to charge students a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee to fund services and amenities of a non-academic nature.

• CQUniversity introduced the SSAF from Term 1, 2012.

Student Services & Amenities Fee (cont.)

• Students are charged a SSAF as per the Schedule to a maximum of two terms per academic year.

• The current Student Services and Amenities Fee Schedule can be viewed online at http://www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/student-fees/fees-and-charges/student-services-and-amenities-fees.

• The due date for payment of the SSAF is census date for each term.

Student Services & Amenities Fee (cont.)

• Only students who meet the eligibility criteria can access Government assistance and defer the fee through SA-HELP.

• Further information about the SSAF and SA-HELP is available on both the University’s and Australian Government websites at:– http://www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/student-fees/sa-help– http://www.innovation.gov.au/HigherEducation/

StudentSupport/Pages/StudentServicesAndAmenities.aspx

Other Fees & Charges

• Other fees and charges are either:– Paid as the charge is incurred, e.g. for an Academic

Transcript or for Graduation Charges.

– Invoiced weekly, e.g. Library Fines and Student Loans, or can be paid at any CQUniversity cashiering point before an invoice is issued.

Calculation of Fees & Charges

• Student Contributions, FEE-HELP, Tuition Fees and the Student Services and Amenities Fee are calculated approximately 3 to 4 weeks prior to the commencement of each term.

• Once calculated, these fees can be viewed under the Finances section in your CQUcentral Student Centre.

• An enrolment change (add or drop) could adjust the fees due for the term. Please ensure you check your Account in your CQUcentral Student Centre for any changes.

CQUcentral

• You can view the fees and charges on your Account using CQUcentral:– Log onto CQUcentral

• Select Continue to Student Centre

• Refer to the Finances section for an Account Summary and available links to view details of your Account

• You can print a Fee Notice for your records, just select the ‘Financial Notices’ link and follow the prompts

• For step-by-step instructions on how to use CQUcentral please refer to the ‘CQUcentral Student User Guide’ available at http://www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/domestic-students/course-and-program-information/student-

user-guides.

Fee Notices & Invoices

• Fees for Student Contributions, FEE-HELP, Tuition and Student Services and Amenities Fees are generated approximately 3 to 4 weeks prior to Week 1 of each term.

• Fee Notices can be printed through CQUcentral.

• For all other sundry fees and charges, e.g. Library Fines, Student Loans, etc invoices are issued weekly.

Fee Notices & Invoices (cont.)

• If you change your enrolment by adding or dropping courses you can:– print an updated Fee Notice that reflects the change;

• The Fee Notice does provide some enrolment information but is not intended for this purpose. Enrolment details can be confirmed by printing an Enrolment Advice from the Academics section in CQUcentral.

• You can make a payment through CQUcentral – click ‘Make a Payment’ in the Finances section of your CQUcentral Student Centre.

Fee Notices & Invoices (cont.)

• If using the BPay or Australia Post payment methods, you MUST use the Fee Notice from the term the fee or charge was incurred.

• The BPay reference number and Australia Post Barcode are specific to each Term’s Fees. Each Term you need to use the correct Reference details for your payment to be credited to the correct charge.

Due Dates

• The due date for Student Contributions, FEE-HELP, Tuition Fees and Student Services and Amenities Fees will be no later than the term census date.

• Census dates (and other important dates) are listed in the Calendar of Principal Dates available in the Student Handbook.

• The due date for Student Loan repayments is detailed in your Student Loan Agreement.

• The due date for all other fees and charges is 14 days after issue of the invoice.

Reconciliation

• After the census date each term, a reconciliation process is run by Student Fees & Records staff.

• Eligible students who have not paid up front in full by census date will have their unpaid term Student Contributions converted to a deferred HECS-HELP debt to be reported to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

• Students approved for FEE-HELP who have not paid up front in full by census date will have their unpaid Tuition Fees converted to a deferred FEE-HELP debt to be reported to the ATO.

Reconciliation (cont.)

• Eligible students who have submitted a valid Request for SA-HELP assistance form and who have not paid up front in full by census date will have their Student Services and Amenities Fee converted to a deferred SA-HELP debt to be reported to the ATO.

• Students who are not eligible to defer all or part of their Student Contribution and who have not paid in full will have their enrolments for the term cancelled.

Reconciliation (cont.)

• Each term, within 28 days after the term census date, CQUniversity will generate a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that term for students who have enrolments past census date.

• These Notices will be available on CQUcentral by clicking on the Financial Notices link under the Finance section.

Reconciliation (cont.)

• The Commonwealth Assistance Notice is an important document. You should print a copy for your records. The Notice advises:– enrolment details as at close of business on census date;

– total assessed liability for the term based on the enrolment;

– amount paid (if any);

– discount based on that payment (if any);

– amounts deferred to SA-HELP, HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP (if any) which are to be reported to the ATO.

Reconciliation (cont.)

• Check the Commonwealth Assistance Notice carefully.

• You must notify the University in writing, and within 14 days of the Notice generation date, of any errors on the Notice.

• At the completion of the Reconciliation process, your account summary on CQUcentral should correctly record your details for the term.

Collections

• CQUniversity has a Collections Policy and Procedures to recover money due to the University.

• If you owe money to CQUniversity the University will act to recover that money.

• The Collections Policy and Procedures are located at http://policy.cqu.edu.au/.– select ‘C’, then ‘Collections Policy’ / ‘Collections

Procedures’.

Collections (cont.)

• 4 days after a due date, any unpaid fee or charge goes into Collections.

• Reminder letters are issued and Negative Service Indicators are applied to your student record.

• The longer a debt is outstanding, the more restrictive the Negative Service Indicators become.

Collections (cont.)

• Appendix A of the Collections Procedures lists the Negative Service Indicators. These can include:– Official Transcript not available

– Cannot collect an award

– Unable to view results

– Access to computing withdrawn

– Ability to re-enrol withdrawn

– Withdrawal of future enrolment

– Cancellation of program

– Passed to debt collector

References & Contacts

• Further information about Australian Government assistance for financing tertiary study can be found at http://studyassist.gov.au/.

• Student Fees staff can help if you have enquiries about:– Commonwealth support, HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP,

SA-HELP, OS-HELP

– Fees and charges, including disputed charges

– Changes to your citizenship or residency status

– Refunds

References & Contacts (cont.)

• Information about these topics can be found on our website at: http://www.cqu.edu.au/current-student/student-fees/fees-and-charges

• You can contact us by:– submitting your query via eform -http://www.cqu.edu.au/sfe

– by Phone: 13 2786 or From Overseas: +61 7 4930 9000

– By Fax: (07) 4930 9399 or

From Overseas (+61 7 4930 9399)