The purpose of our procedure
This procedure explains how we set, manage and administer student fees, loans and charges at Adelaide University. Please read it in conjunction with the Fees and Loans Policy.
Who our procedure applies to
This procedure applies to all students at Adelaide University.
Our Fees and Loans Procedure
1. Paying student fees
Students are responsible for ensuring that:
- their enrolment is accurate by the census date for each study or research period in which they enrol
- fee related correspondence is read and actioned by the deadline
- tuition fees, and all other charges accrued, are paid by the due date
- they advise Adelaide University of any changes to their eligibility to access Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loans
- they pay their fees in accordance with Adelaide University-approved payment methods
- their personal contact details are accurate, and if accessing HELP they match exactly with those recorded with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- if a third party is paying their fees, that party is notified of payment deadlines for each study period
Domestic students who defer their student contribution amount using a HECS-HELP loan, or tuition fees via a FEE-HELP loan, are considered to have paid their fees in accordance with Commonwealth legislation.
2. How we charge fees
Adelaide University determines the student eligibility for Commonwealth support or assistance in accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003. We charge student fees in accordance with their enrolment and liability status as recorded in the student record system, and according to the tuition fee as published on our [website].
We issue a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) each study period to domestic students in Commonwealth supported place or those using a HELP loan.
We issue an Enrolment Confirmation Notice (ECN) each study period to:
- domestic fee-paying students who do not receive any form of Commonwealth assistance
- graduate research students holding Research Training Program (RTP) places
- international students
- incoming exchange and study abroad students.
3. Commonwealth supported students
Commonwealth supported students must complete a Commonwealth Assistance Form. Students eligible for HECS-HELP through the HELP must provide their Tax File Number (TFN) by the census date of their first study period. Other students must pay their student contribution amount in full by the census date of their first study period.
If students do not meet these requirements by the census date, their enrolment will be cancelled.
Payments for student contribution amounts received after the current study period census date will be applied to the next study period, or students can request a refund.
4. Domestic fee-paying students
Adelaide University only offers fee-paying domestic undergraduate places to students who have exhausted their student learning entitlement. These students will be required to pay tuition fees and may be eligible for FEE-HELP.
Fee-paying domestic coursework student tuition fees are set at the program level for 24 or 48 units each year. Each course within a program is charged based on its unit value (for example 6 or 12 units).
Fees may change each year. The offer of admission states the fees for the year of commencement only and notes that fees may increase in future years. Updated fees are published on our website before enrolment each year.
5. International fee-paying students
We calculate international tuition fees to cover the cost of delivering courses to international students. International coursework students contribute to student services and amenities fees as a component of their tuition fees (see section 11).
Fees for commencing students will be determined annually. Students will be informed of fees in the offer of admission, including details about annual indexation.
International students who apply for, and are admitted to another program, are liable for fee changes associated with admission to the new program.
Commencing international students are required to pay 50% of the first year’s tuition fees before enrolling. Payment instructions will be included in the offer of admission.
Continuing international students, including those commencing a second or subsequent program, will be charged tuition fees for each study period, based on their enrolment load (total unit value) for coursework students, or based on the total load consumed for research students.
Late payment of international student tuition fees may incur a charge as determined by Adelaide University.
6. Study abroad students
We charge incoming study abroad students tuition fees based on their program and study load. Fees are set yearly. Incoming study abroad students do not pay the student services and amenities fee. See [website] for further information.
Most incoming study abroad students are required to pay fees for their initial six-month period in full, before enrolment. Exceptions may be made for individual students, including sponsored students. Payment instructions will be included in the offer of admission.
Outgoing study abroad students are only liable for the fees charged by the host provider.
7. Exchange students
Incoming exchange students governed by a formal exchange agreement with their home provider pay the tuition fees charged by their home provider. Incoming exchange students are not charged the student services and amenities fee.
Outgoing exchange students from Adelaide University who are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported program governed by a formal exchange agreement with the host provider pay their student contribution amount to Adelaide University and may be eligible for HECS-HELP. Outgoing exchange students from Adelaide University who are not enrolled in a Commonwealth supported program pay their tuition fees to Adelaide University.
8. Cross-institutional students
The student contribution amount or tuition fees for cross institutional coursework study are set by the host provider.
Fee details for joint PhD Award graduate research students are covered under our [Joint PhD Award Procedure].
9. Non-award students
We set fees for non-award study at the beginning of each academic year and publish them on the Adelaide University website.
Where the program includes courses in which Commonwealth supported students are enrolled, the tuition fee per unit must be at least equivalent to the student contribution amount for that course.
10. Short program students
Students undertaking short programs must pay tuition fees. Fees will be published on the [Adelaide University website].
11. Student Services and Amenities Fee
Adelaide University will determine and apply the student services and amenities fee annually in line with the Higher Education Support (Administration) Guidelines 2022. We publish SSAF details, including who pays, how much and when, on the [Adelaide University website].
Payments for the student services and amenities fee made after the census date will not be accepted if the student has chosen to defer payment under the SA-HELP scheme.
The means of determining and charging the fee may vary for international and domestic students and mode of study.
12. Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Students who wish to defer some or all of their student contribution amount, tuition fee or student services and amenities fee, to a HELP loan, must complete the relevant Commonwealth Assistance Form (including provision of their tax file number) prior to the census date of the study period. The request remains valid for all courses undertaken in the program. Students must re-submit the form if they change programs.
The eligibility criteria and specific conditions that apply to HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, SA-HELP and OS-HELP are listed in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and published on the [Adelaide University website].
13. OS-HELP Loans
OS-HELP is a Commonwealth loan scheme that provides students with assistance to undertake part of their program of study overseas. It is not available to students undertaking their whole program outside Australia. Details on eligibility, when and how to apply, and how OS-HELP loans are awarded are published on our [website].
Students will be informed of the outcome of their application via email, including the amount of their OS-HELP assistance, timelines for accepting payment, and any conditions of the loan. If the OS-HELP is approved but not yet paid, and we determine the student is ineligible, we will withdraw the offer of assistance in writing, within 10 working days.
If we consider that a student in receipt of OS-HELP assistance has provided false or misleading information in the application, we will immediately notify the Australian government.
Once a student has received an OS-HELP loan it cannot be cancelled by the student, and it must be repaid as per the conditions of the loan.
14. Internal payment of student fees
Adelaide University may nominate to pay all or part of an enrolled student’s fees, consistent with provisions for exemptions and fee-waivers in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the Higher Education Support (Administration) Guidelines 2022.
Exemptions may apply in the following circumstances:
- courses consisting solely of unsupported work experience in industry
- where Adelaide University grants a student a scholarship for their entire program
- where a graduate research student is in receipt of a RTP fee-offset place
Fee waivers for coursework programs and fee-paying graduate research students may apply in the following circumstances:
- personal, family, or financial hardship
- compassionate or humanitarian grounds
- loss of a fee sponsor for reasons unrelated to the student
- professional development undertaken by Adelaide University staff
- employer or external body funded scholarship
- an exceptional circumstance as determined by [Dean of Programs]
For details on fee waivers for graduate research students please refer to our [Graduate Research Scholarships Procedure].
Staff must use the approved form to request internal payments. Approvals must follow the authority listed on the form.
15. Other fees and charges
The Higher Education Support Act 2003 and the Higher Education Provider Guidelines 2023 outline the provisions where higher education providers charge ‘incidental’ fees other than tuition fees or student contributions.
16. Bad financial standing
A student is in bad financial standing if full payment of a tuition fee, student services and amenities fee, or other charge is not received within 21 calendar days after the due date on their invoice.
Until all outstanding fees and charges are paid, a bad financial standing indicator on the student record will result in:
- withheld results
- a restriction on re-enrolment
- cancellation of enrolment in future study periods
- ineligibility to obtain an academic transcript
- ineligibility to receive an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEG) or graduate with an Adelaide University award
- suspension of stipend scholarship payments for graduate research students
For international students on a student visa, in addition to the consequences outlined above, a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) will not be issued for future study periods.
17. Change of residency status
International students who are granted permanent residency in Australia are eligible to apply for a Commonwealth supported or a domestic tuition fee-paying place as appropriate and subject to availability, and for some programs at our discretion. However, they are not eligible for Commonwealth assistance in the form of a HELP loan or a Commonwealth Learning Scholarship. The following rules apply when a student’s residency status changes.
- The effective date of permanent residency is the date on which residency is granted and not the date of application.
- If permanent residency is granted before a study period census date, and the student notifies Adelaide University of their new status on, or before, the relevant study period census date, the student’s status will be changed in the student system, and the student will be charged the appropriate student contribution or tuition fee.
- If the international student tuition fee has been paid and there is a difference between this fee and the full up-front tuition fee, then a refund will be processed.
- If permanent residency is granted:
- after a study period census date, or
- permanent residency is granted before a study period census date, but the student does not notify us until after the relevant study period census date
Graduate research students who obtain permanent residency during their enrolment at Adelaide University will be assisted individually to comply with any relevant RTP and scholarship conditions.
Definitions used in our procedure
Please refer to our Adelaide University glossary for a full list of our definitions.
Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS) means a document that contains details and features of a graduate’s conferred award as well as details of any prizes, scholarships and grants a graduate may have been awarded. Where professional recognition is part of a conferred award, it will be included. The AHEGS aims to provide greater transparency about the level and context of an award, and the status of a Graduate's achievements.
Census date means the date within each study period (or research period for research degree programs) by which a student's enrolment must be finalised for a course, and applicable fees and charges are incurred. It is the last day that a student can withdraw from a course and have it deleted from their academic record.
It is also the deadline for various financial requirements, including submission of request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form; submission of request for FEE-HELP Assistance; payment of any up-front payment of student contribution; obtaining a HECS-HELP loan; or supplying a Tax File Number.
Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) means a notice containing important information about a student's enrolment, student contribution, tuition fee or student services and amenities fee amount charged, HELP debt incurred, and any payments made towards these charges.
Commonwealth supported place (CSP) means a higher education place for which the Commonwealth makes a financial contribution under the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Domestic undergraduate places at Adelaide University are generally Commonwealth supported. Postgraduate coursework places can be offered on a full fee-paying basis or as Commonwealth supported places.
Commonwealth supported student means a student who is eligible for, and is enrolled into, a Commonwealth supported place. Commonwealth supported students pay a student contribution amount towards the cost of their program, and a student services and amenities fee.
Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) means an official document issued by Adelaide University to international students to confirm enrolment status as required by the Australian Government for student visa holders.
Enrolment Confirmation Notice (ECN) means the notice provided to a student and includes the name and code of the course(s) in which the student is enrolled, enrolment load, the census date, the student liability status, and the total outstanding debt.
Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) means the Australian Government loan program to help eligible students pay their student contributions (HECS-HELP), tuition fees (FEE-HELP), overseas study expenses (OS-HELP) and their student services and amenities fee (SA-HELP). These loans are repaid through the Australian Taxation System.
Research Training Program (RTP) means Commonwealth-funding for graduate researcher students to cover the cost of their tuition fees for the duration of their program, up to a maximum period of four years' full-time equivalent study for a doctorate by research and two years' full-time equivalent study for a masters by research.
Student contribution amount means the amount charged to Commonwealth supported students as a contribution towards the cost of their education. Adelaide University, in accordance with the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA), determines and publishes student contribution amounts on an annual basis.
Student learning entitlement means the Australian Government rule that provides to Commonwealth supported students seven years of full-time subsidised study in Commonwealth supported places. The student learning entitlement applies to studies undertaken from January 1st, 2022 onwards.
Student means a person enrolled in an Enabling Program, award or non-award coursework study, a research program, or a short course or microcredential at Adelaide University.
Student services and amenities fee (SSAF) means the fee charged to students annually for student services and non-academic amenities, such as sporting and recreational activities, employment and career advice, childcare, financial advice and food services in accordance with Higher Education Support Act 2003.
How our procedure is governed
This Procedure is categorised, approved and owned in line with the governance structure of Adelaide University and the offices and officers listed below.
Parent policy | |
Policy category | Academic |
Approving authority | co-Vice Chancellors/Vice Chancellor and President |
Policy owner | Deputy Vice Chancellor- Student Experience & Success |
Responsible officer | [TBC] |
Effective from | 6 June 2025 |
Review date | 5 years after date this version is approved, TBC |
Enquiries | Interim Central Policy Unit/[Central Policy Unit] |
Replaced documents | None |
Legislation and other documents related to this procedure
Higher Education Standards Framework Domain 1. Student Participation and Attainment |
National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 Standard 3 Formalisation of enrolment and written agreements Standard 9 Deferring, suspending or cancelling the overseas student’s enrolment |
Commonwealth Grant Scheme Guidelines 2020 Higher Education Provider Guidelines 2023 |
History of changes
Date approved | To section/clauses | Description of change |
6 June 2025 | All | Procedure has been significantly updated to reflect Adelaide University’s operating and governance structures |
At the time of writing, the organisational structure, positions, committees, or any other unknown item etc. for Adelaide University have not been confirmed. Accordingly, square brackets [ ] temporarily enclose such information in this procedure until confirmed.