A guide to postgraduate CSP courses in healthcare

If you’re looking to enrol in a postgraduate healthcare course but are concerned about the cost, a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) may significantly reduce your tuition fees and make further education more accessible.

In this article, we’ll cover various aspects pertaining to postgraduate Commonwealth supported places in healthcare, answering questions about how much tuition a CSP covers, how hard it is to get a place, eligibility criteria and more.

What is a Commonwealth supported place and how does it work?

A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is a government-subsidised place at an Australian public university or an approved private higher education provider.

With a CSP, the Australian Government subsidises a portion of your tuition fees, thereby lowering the overall cost of your course.

This government subsidy is not a loan so you won’t need to repay the subsidised amount. You will, however, need to pay for the remaining portion, also known as the student contribution amount.

A CSP can significantly reduce the cost of your studies. For example, if you were to enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Nursing at Victoria University, the price per unit would normally be $3,029, but with a CSP, the cost drops to $592 per unit – an approximately 80 per cent reduction in fees.

How to get a Commonwealth supported place

1. Check CSP availability and eligibility
   
   • Check the higher education provider’s website to see if CSPs are offered for your course. Contact the institution directly if you’re unsure.
   
   • Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria, including citizenship and residency requirements.

2. Apply for your chosen course
   
   • Before submitting a CSP application, you must first apply for, receive and accept an offer for your chosen course.
3. Submit a CSP application
   
   • Submit the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) before the census date.

4. Application assessment
   
   • CSP applications are assessed by the higher education provider and allocated based on factors such as academic merit and whether eligibility requirements are met.

5. Payment and loan options

   • If you are awarded a CSP, you only need to pay the student contribution amount, while the government covers the rest through a subsidy.
   
   • You can choose to either pay the student contribution amount upfront or defer the payment through HECS-HELP.

CSP vs HECS-HELP vs FEE-HELP

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When it comes to higher education loan schemes, CSP, HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP are the three most common funding arrangements. While a CSP reduces tuition fees through a government subsidy, HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP are loan programs designed to help students defer their fees.

The table below breaks down the key differences between these options:

Is CSP available to postgraduate students?

Yes, CSPs are available for postgraduate courses but they are much more limited compared to undergraduate courses.

The majority of government funding for CSPs is directed towards undergraduate programs, meaning fewer subsidised places exist at the postgraduate level.

For example, in 2022, the Department of Education announced 20,000 additional CSPs for 2023 and 2024 but these were only for sub-bachelor's and bachelor's-level courses, not postgraduate courses.

Unlike undergraduate CSPs which are more widely available, postgraduate CSPs are harder to come by and their availability depends on several key factors:

1. Government funding allocation
   Higher education providers are allocated funding from the government for CSPs, however, as funding priorities change each year, some courses may offer CSPs one year but not the next.
    
2. Field of study
   Field of study CSPs are typically offered to courses which meet areas of national priority, skills needs and workforce shortage. Some examples of these areas include teaching, information technology, nursing, psychology and social work.
    
3. Course type
   CSPs are typically only offered for select postgraduate coursework degrees. There are no CSPs offered for research master’s degrees.

How much tuition does a Commonwealth supported place cover?

The amount of tuition covered by a CSP depends on what you study. Each unit of study in your course falls into a funding cluster, which determines:

• How much the government subsidises
• How much you need to pay (your student contribution amount)

Since courses are made up of multiple units, you may have different student contribution amounts depending on the subjects you take.

Here’s a breakdown of the 2026 maximum student contribution amounts for each funding cluster:

To calculate your student contribution amount, you will need to take the maximum student contribution per EFTSL multiplied by the unit’s EFTSL value.

As an example, if you’re studying a Graduate Certificate in Global Health Leadership at Victoria University, the units in the course fall under funding cluster two (other health) where the maximum student contribution is $9,537 per EFTSL.

Since the course consists of four units, each unit has an EFTSL value of 0.125 as a full-time study load is typically one EFTSL per year.

To calculate your student contribution per unit, multiply $9,537 x 0.125 to get $1,192.

This means that for each unit, you pay $1,192 instead of $3,179 and the government subsidises the remaining $1,987.

For the entire course, you pay $4,768 and the government subsidises $7,948.

How hard is it to get a Commonwealth supported place as a postgraduate healthcare student?

Securing a CSP as a postgraduate healthcare student can be challenging due to limited availability and strong competition. Here are some factors that may influence whether you get a CSP and what you can do to strengthen your application:

1. Academic merit
   CSPs for postgraduate students are not automatically granted and are often awarded based on academic performance. Higher education providers tend to prioritise applicants with a high grade point average (GPA) or weighted average mark (WAM) in their undergraduate degree and in some instances, relevant professional experience in the field.

   If you’re still completing your undergraduate degree, focus on maintaining strong grades. If you’ve completed your undergraduate degree and are applying for a CSP, make sure you’re highlighting any work experience, internships or research that may be relevant to the course.

2. Competitiveness
   Postgraduate CSPs are quota-based, meaning only a set number of places are available each year. Higher education providers receive a specific amount of funding from the government and must decide how to distribute this across different courses.

   To circumvent this, you can try applying as early as possible as CSPs may be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. You can also boost your chances of securing a CSP by applying to multiple higher education providers that offer CSPs in your field.

3. Course and field of study
   CSPs are more likely to be available in postgraduate healthcare courses that are considered workforce priorities, so you may have a higher chance of getting a CSP if you apply to a course that offers CSPs in these fields. In healthcare, these may include areas such as nursing and clinical psychology.

Commonwealth supported place eligibility for postgraduate healthcare students

To be eligible for a CSP in a healthcare course, you must meet certain citizenship, residency and course-related requirements, which include:

1. Citizenship and residency requirements
   To qualify for a CSP you must be:
   • An Australian citizen who will study at least one unit of your course while living in Australia
   • A New Zealand citizen who will study the entire course while living in Australia
   • An Australian permanent visa holder who will study the entire course while living in Australia
   • An eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder or a Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will study the entire course while living in Australia

2. Enrolled in an eligible postgraduate healthcare course
   CSPs for postgraduate students are not available for all courses, so it’s important that you’re enrolled in a postgraduate healthcare course that offers CSP.


3. Meeting selection criteria
   Postgraduate CSPs are not automatically granted and higher education providers typically assess students based on course entry requirements and academic performance. These course entry requirements may include conditions such as:
   •Having a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date of your course
   •Having sufficient Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) available
   •Not undertaking more than two years worth of higher education study within 12 months unless your higher education provider has approved you to take on more

How do I know if the course I want to study offers CSP?

Not all postgraduate healthcare courses offer CSPs, so it’s important to check before applying. Higher education providers usually indicate whether a CSP is available for a course on their website but the information may not always be obvious. Here’s how you can determine whether your course offers CSP.

1. Check the higher education provider’s website
   The easiest way to check if the course you want to study offers CSP is to visit the higher education provider’s website, search for your chosen course and look for a section titled “fees”. Once you’ve toggled to this section, you will be able to see if it offers CSPs or if it’s a full-fee paying course.

   Some websites also have a dedicated page for information on postgraduate CSPs which may be titled “postgraduate CSP courses”, “CSPs for postgraduate study” or “course fees and CSP availability.”

2. Download a course guide
   Some higher education providers have detailed course guides that outline whether CSPs are offered and how they are allocated. These guides may also explain the selection criteria for CSPs in further detail.

   If CSP availability isn’t clearly listed online, you can:

3. Contact the higher education provider directly
   If CSP availability isn’t clearly stated, you can contact the higher education provider directly via phone or email.

4. Speak to an advisor
   Some higher education providers have course advisors who can provide personalised guidance on CSP eligibility and availability. Depending on the institution, these advisors may also be referred to as student advisors or learning advisors.

   At GlobalHealth Education, for example, you can speak with our Education Consultant, Catriona, who can help you with information on CSP availability, application requirements and eligibility criteria for courses in our course catalogue.

Pursue a postgraduate CSP course in healthcare

A CSP can significantly reduce fee costs, making further study more accessible. While securing one can be tricky, maintaining strong grades, showcasing relevant work experience, applying early and for courses in high-demand healthcare fields may improve your chances.

Take a look at the full list of CSP courses offered by various reputable universities in Australia. Courses are available in a range of disciplines, including counselling, mental health, nursing, psychology, social work, public health and more.