Fees and payments

The 2023 fee value for domestic and international coursework is $40.00 per 10 credit points and the maximum fee that will be charged will be $320. See the table below.

The 2022 fee value for domestic and international coursework is $39.00 per 10 credit points and the maximum fee that will be charged will be $312. See the table below.

Here's a breakdown of how the SSAF was used at CDU in 2021. 

Visit payments to find out when you need to pay your Higher Education fees and make a payment.

When a course is offered, it will be stated whether Commonwealth supported places (CSPs) are available. If they are, domestic students will be automatically granted a CSP. This is confirmed when you receive your offer email.

Most Higher Education undergraduate courses have CSPs; however, only some post-graduate courses offer CSPs. If your course is full-fee, it will be clearly stated in your offer letter.

You can check your fee balance by logging into MyStudentInfo and selecting 'finance' from the left-hand menu.

Below you'll find the Higher Education fees for each CDU unit.

• 2023 HE Domestic Units & Fees
• 2022 HE Domestic Units & Fees 
• 2021 HE Domestic Units & Fees

• NT Government subsidised places
• Full fees
• Credit transfer fees
• RPL fees

NT Government subsidised places

If you're a domestic student living in the NT, you may be eligible for an NT Government (NTG) subsidised place. This means that the NT Government subsidise your course by paying part of your fees directly to your course provider. You will then need to pay the remainder of the fees through a student contribution known as the tuition fee.

Domestic students living in the NT are eligible for enrolment in NTG subsidised places. As well as meeting domestic student and NT residency requirements, to be eligible for a subsidised place, you must:

• be at least 15 years of age
• be identified as disengaged from school
• have the skills and capabilities to undertake training and actively engage in employment or be able to provide evidence of having completed year 10.

Domestic secondary school students are eligible for specific NTG subsidised places under the VET for Secondary Students (VSS) program.

Students will need to maintain eligibility throughout their course to continue to access the NTG subsidy. NTG subsidised places are limited and CDU cannot guarantee you access to an NTG subsidised place.

Tuition fees for CDU TAFE Courses are generally set by the award type. In 2023 the fees per hour are:

To find out more about eligibility for NTG subsidised places, visit the Department of Trade, Business and Innovations policies page. 

Students exempt from CDU TAFE tuition fees*

• enrolled secondary school students
• NTG Community Response Funded Program students
• students who at the time of enrolment receive a Centrelink or Veteran's Affairs benefit
• NTG Remote 2 Location categories for CDU TAFE Funded Programs
• students who are prisoners at the time of enrolment
• permanent residents with refugee or humanitarian status.

*An exemption applies to CDU TAFE tuition fees for NTG subsidised courses only. To claim the fee exemption, a student must provide valid proof of concession at the time of enrolment, or fees will be charged.

Contact Student Central to find out more about exemptions and how to apply. 

Full fees

If you're a domestic CDU TAFE student, there may be some cases where you cannot enrol in an NTG subsidised place. Enrolment in these courses will mean you need to pay full fees and no exemptions apply. This might be because:

• the course is not listed as an NT Government subsidised place
• student demand has exceeded the number of subsidised places, so only non-subsidised places may be available
• you are not an NT resident.

The fees you will be charged are dependent on the course you are studying, the industry it's in and the units you choose.

Full fees for TAFE Courses are generally set by industry group. In 2023 the industry group fees per hour are:

Credit transfer fees

There is no charge for credit transfers. As a Registered Training Organisation, CDU recognises the Australian Quality Framework Qualification and Statements of Attainment issued by other Australian Registered Training Organisations.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) fees

For candidates undertaking the RPL process, a $95.00 administration fee applies for each completed RPL application submitted, and no fee exemption will apply. This fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee that you will be granted the qualification or unit/s you seek RPL for. If a potential RPL candidate wishes to apply for more than one qualification, a separate VET121 - RPL Application Form must be submitted, and an additional application fee will apply.

An RPL candidate will be enrolled once they are approved. Fees associated with the RPL assessment for 2023 are:

• for NT residents applying for NTG subsidised qualification there is no fee for 2023

• for non-NTG subsidised training or non-NT residents, a flat rate fee of $5.00 per nominal hour applies for each unit

• for international visa holders (non-student visa holders or holders who qualify for NTG subsidised training), a flat rate of $5.00 per nominal hour applies for each unit.

To find out more information, please visit cdu.edu.au/student-central/forms-guides.

To find fees specific to your course, search for your course using the course finder and select the fees tab. 

Types of fee exemptions

An exemption applies to CDU TAFE tuition fees for NTG subsidised courses only.

Centrelink or Veteran's Affairs Benefit

At the time of enrolment, students who receive a Centrelink or Veteran's Affairs payment will be exempt from paying tuition fees.

Secondary school students

At the time of enrolment, secondary school students will receive a tuition fee exemption by providing details of their secondary school on the CDU TAFE enrolment form. 

• VET101 - VET Enrolment Form

Humanitarian or Refugee Visa Holders

Individuals holding a Permanent Resident Visa (Humanitarian) or a Permanent Resident Visa (Refugee) are exempt from tuition fees. 

Remote 2 Location

You may be eligible for a fee exemption if your course is delivered in a location listed on the NTG's Location Categories for VET funded programs as 'Remote 2' for the location category.

Please note: students who have their full course content delivered externally are not eligible for the Remote 2 Location tuition fee exemption.

Applying for a fee exemption

You will need to attach documents for your fee exemption when you fill out the CDU TAFE enrolment form. 

• VET101 - VET Enrolment Form

If you don't submit your documents at the same time, you will need to complete an exemption from tuition fees form. In this case, your exemption will apply from the start of the teaching period that was form is submitted.

• VET103 - Exemption from VET Tuition Fees

Visit Payments (dates, methods, and refunds) to find out when you need to pay your CDU TAFE fees and make a payment.

If you are eligible for VET Student Loans (VSL), visit the VSL webpage for more information.

Tuition fees

If you are a domestic student and are not eligible for a Commonwealth supported loan (such as HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP) or you have chosen to pay your fees upfront, all fee payments are due by the census date of that semester.

If you are an international student, you must have paid your tuition fees by the first day of teaching in that semester. This will usually happen upon acceptance of your offer.

Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

All students will need to pay their Student Services and Amenities Fee or apply for an SA-HELP loan by the census date of that semester.

Apprenticeships, Cert I, II, III and IV

All fees must be paid within 14 days of the enrolment date on your Enrolment and Fees Advice Invoice. This is an invoice of the fees you owe, together with confirmation of your enrolment.

The invoice will be sent to you after your enrolment has been processed unless you are otherwise notified. If your computer account has been activated, the invoice will be sent to your CDU email account.

Diploma and above

If you are eligible for VET Student Loans, you must apply before the census date.

If you are paying your fees upfront, you will also need to do this before the census date.

We recommended that you check your invoice to make sure it is correct. If you posted your completed TAFE enrolment form to CDU and have not received your invoice within four weeks, or if you have any queries regarding your invoice, contact Student Central for assistance. It is your responsibility as the student to advise the University in writing of any change of address.

For more information, visit VET Student Loans.

You can use Visa, Master Card, Amex, Flywire, Convera and PayPal to pay online for:

• student fee payments - Higher Education and CDU TAFE
• academic transcripts
• parking fines
• miscellaneous fees such as advanced standing.

Pay online

CDU offers an Instalment Agreement Plan for students who wish to pay their fees over a period of time.

This is available for Domestic CDU TAFE students owing fees greater than $100 per semester.

Please email fees@cdu.edu.au for more information.

If you would like to use B-Pay to pay your fees, quote biller code 49395 and your reference number which is printed on the front of your invoice.

There are in-person payment facilities available at the following locations:

• Casuarina campus (EFTPOS only, no cash)
• Darwin Waterfront (EFTPOS only, no cash)
• Alice Springs campus
• Palmerston campus
• Katherine Town centre.

Make payment by phone via Master Card, Visa Card, Diners or American Express.

freecall1800 061 963.

You can make payments with:

• Credit Card

• PayPal

• Convera

• Flywire

Pay online