VET fees

In this section:

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.

To find out if your course is subsidised, refer to theVET Tuition Fee Schedule for 2021. Here you will find information about the fees applicable to a particular course.

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.

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

Students exempt from VET 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 VET Funded Programs
• Students who are prisoners at the time of enrolment
• Permanent residents with refugee or humanitarian status.

*An exemption applies to VET 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.

Click here to find out more about exemptions and how to apply. 

Full fees

If you're a domestic student, there may be some cases where you are not able to 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. 

International student fees

If you're an international student, you will be charged course-dependent fees and won't usually be eligible for NT Government subsidised places. Find all international courses online at CDU International or contact Student Central. 

Student Central
E: student.central@cdu.edu.au
T: 1800 061 963 (freecall)

CDU International
E: international@cdu.edu.au

Recognition of Prior Learning fees

If you've applied for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), you will be required to pay a $95 fee for each completed RPL application. If you wish to apply for more than one qualification or form of prior learning, you will need to fill out a separate application form and pay an additional $95 fee.

• VET 121 - RPL application form (PDF, 274.59 KB)

This fee is non-refundable and does not guarantee that your application will be approved.

An RPL candidate will be enrolled once they are approved. Fees associated with the actual RPL assessment for 2021 are:

• for NT residents applying for NTG subsidised qualification – zero fee for 2021
• for non-NTG subsidised training or non-NT residents, a flat-rate fee of $5.00 per nominal hour for each unit applies
• for international visa holders (not student visa holders or holders who qualify for NTG subsidised training), a flat rate of $5.00 per nominal hour for each unit applies.

For international student visa holders, the cost of self-assessment and RPL are covered by the international fee for the particular course.

Please note: the RPL application fee also applies to students exempt from VET tuition fees.

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.

To find fees that are 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 VET 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 a receive tuition fee exemption by providing details of their secondary school on the VET enrolment form. 

• VET 101 - VET Enrolment form (PDF, 531.12 KB)

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

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

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 VET enrolment form. 

• VET 101 - VET Enrolment form (PDF, 531.12 KB)

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.

• VET 103 Exemption from VET tuition fees (PDF, 277.73 KB)

When do I pay my fees?

All fees must be paid within 14 days of the enrolment date on your Enrolment and Fees Advice-Invoice. Your Enrolment and Fees Advice–Invoice 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.

CDU do not usually issue any other invoice unless it has been requested by a third party. 

It's recommended that you check your invoice to make sure it is correct. If you posted your completed VET 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.

If you fail to pay, a final notice will be issued.

If you are enrolled in a Diploma or higher level course, all fees owing for the teaching period must be paid for before the census date.

Census date

If you are eligible for VET Student Loans, you must either pay your fees upfront or defer it to tax on or before the census date.

The census date is the last day for a student to submit their electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) to defer their fees to tax. The census date is also the final day for students to withdraw from their units without incurring fees or a VET Student Loan debt.

Census dates for each Teaching Period are:

Students who do not pay their fees or defer their fees to tax on or before the census date will have their unit enrolment cancelled for that teaching period.

Make a payment

Find information on our payment methods.

Payment by instalment

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

• The Instalment Agreement Plan is available to students with a total half-yearly (2 Teaching Periods) debt of $100 or more.
• Students will need to contact the Cashiers at either Casuarina or Alice Springs campuses, or any CDU Centre to enter into an agreement.
• The Cashier will confirm the student meets the agreement criteria and confirm the instalment dates and payments.
• Payments can be made either weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
• The student is advised at time of organising the instalments that they will not be able to view their grades until the balance is zero.
• Students who have entered into this agreement will not receive a Final Notice, unless they fail to meet the terms of the agreement.
• Students who fail to pay an instalment by the agreed due date will be taken off the Installment Plan and the full debt will be due and payable.
• Cashiers will be responsible for monitoring the student’s payment and any further action, if necessary.

All fees for each Teaching Period must be either paid upfront or deferred to tax 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 advising that payment of tuition fees is required no later than one working day before the 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 Charles Darwin University Fees and Charges By-Laws.

For information about refunds, visit General fee information - Refunds.

The VET Student Loans program is a part of the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and aims to assist students with the costs of studying. For more information, visit VET Student Loans.