Fees vary based on your student type, so it's important to find the right fee information for your situation.
You are a domestic student if you are:
- an Australian citizen
- a New Zealand citizen (including a diplomatic or consular representative of New Zealand, a member of the staff of such a representative or the spouse or dependent relative of such a representative)
- a holder of an Australian permanent visa
- a holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.
You are an international student if you are:
- a temporary resident (visa status) of Australia
- a permanent resident (visa status) of New Zealand
- a resident or citizen of any other country.
Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)
All international and domestic Higher Education students must pay a Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) each semester during their studies at CDU. This is standard practice for Australian universities. The SSAF helps fund non-academic services and deliver projects and activities to improve your experience as a student.
The SSAF is cross-institutional, so you will still need to pay the fee if you study abroad.
2024 SSAF Fee rates - Coursework
The 2024 fee value for domestic and international coursework is $43.00 per 10 credit points and the maximum fee that will be charged will be $344.00. See the table below.
Number of Credit Points (CP) | SSAF Charge |
10CP | $43.00 |
| 20CP | $86.00 |
| 30CP | $129.00 |
| 40CP | $172.00 |
| 50CP | $215.00 |
| 60CP | $258.00 |
| 70CP | $301.00 |
| 80CP and above | $344.00 |
2023 SSAF Fee rates - Coursework
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.
Number of Credit Points (CP) | SSAF Charge |
10CP | $40.00 |
| 20CP | $80.00 |
| 30CP | $120.00 |
| 40CP | $160.00 |
| 50CP | $200.00 |
| 60CP | $240.00 |
| 70CP | $280.00 |
| 80CP and above | $320.00 |
2022 SSAF Fee rates - Coursework
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.
Number of Credit Points (CP) | SSAF Charge |
10CP | $39.00 |
| 20CP | $78.00 |
| 30CP | $117.00 |
| 40CP | $156.00 |
| 50CP | $195.00 |
| 60CP | $234.00 |
| 70CP | $273.00 |
| 80CP and above | $312.00 |
2021 SSAF Breakdown
Here's a breakdown of how the SSAF was used at CDU in 2021.
Student groups | 12.4% |
Advocacy, careers and counselling | 22.15% |
Student support | 15.40% |
| Book postage | 4.98% |
Orientation and diaries | 6.09% |
| Student SSAF projects | 23.39% |
| COVID-19 Student assistant grant | 14.25% |
Total | 100% |
Visit payments to find out when you need to pay your Higher Education fees and make a payment.
Higher Education fees for domestic students
Tuition fees
Your tuition fees cover the basic cost of your CDU course.
If you are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP), your tuition fees will be subsidised by the Government (you won't have to pay this back).
- The remainder of your fees is referred to as your own student contribution. Most students use a HECS-HELP loan to pay for this.
If you aren't enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP), you are a full fee-paying student. This means that you will need to pay tuition fees.
- If you're eligible, you can access a FEE-HELP loan to help cover the costs of your tuition.
Unit fees are based on the Field of Education (FOE) code assigned to a unit; this is determined by CDU. FOE codes also belong to one of four fee bands set by the Federal Government every year. Find out more at Study Assist.
How do I know if I'm enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place?
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.
Checking your fee balance
You can check your fee balance by logging into MyStudentInfo and selecting 'finance' from the left-hand menu.
Units and fees
Below you'll find the Higher Education fees for each CDU unit.
CDU TAFE fees for domestic students
Types of 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:
$1.50 | Certificate I and Certificate II |
$3.50 | Certificate III and Certificate IV |
$4.00 | Diploma |
$2.00 | Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher) (AMP30815) |
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:
$10.00 |
|
$12.50 |
|
$15.00 |
|
$20.00 |
|
$7.00 |
|
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.
What fees do I need to pay for my course?
To find fees specific to your course, search for your course using the course finder and select the fees tab.
Tuition fee exemptions
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.
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.
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.
Payments
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.
Higher Education fees for international students
Tuition fees
CDU TAFE fees for international students
- 2023 VET International Tuition fees for continuing student
- 2022 VET International Tuition Fees for continuing student (PDF, 230.22 KB)
- 2021 VET International Tuition Fees for continuing student
More information about international student fees can be found by visiting make your studies compliant.
Payments (dates, methods, and refunds)
Payment dates
Higher Education
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.
CDU TAFE
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.
Payment methods
Pay online
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.
Payment by instalment
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.
B-Pay
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.
In-person
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.
By phone
Make payment by phone via Master Card, Visa Card, Diners or American Express.
freecall1800 061 963.
International Payments
Refunds
If you have a financial credit in your student account due to an overpayment or a withdrawal resulting in a payment being returned, you can request a student refund by logging into the CDU Portal, selecting eForms and completing the Student Refund eForm.
We will refund to the original credit card if the initial payment was made within the last 12 months, otherwise the refund will be processed by bank transfer. It may take up to seven working days for the refund to appear in your account due to bank processing.
For more information about student refunds please refer to the following policies and procedures:
Payment balance
You can check your fee balance by logging into MyStudentInfo
- to view your details select My Fees Balance
- to pay outstanding fees select My Payments Online or see payment methods.
Non-payment of fees
All fees for each teaching period must either be paid upfront or deferred to tax (student loans) on or before the census date. Students who have chosen the up-front payment option will receive a Reminder Notice two (2) weeks before the relevant census date.
If students do not pay their fees up-front or defer it to tax, their enrolment will be cancelled within one (1) week after the census date. Students will be notified in writing of the cancellation.
The consequences of non-payment of fees are covered by the following: