A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is your ticket to a cheaper postgraduate qualification.
A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) means Australian government funding is available to pay part of your higher education course fees. If you’re a domestic fee-paying student, you can apply to get the benefits of a reduced cost place in a postgraduate CSP course.
A fee-paying place is a non-discounted place in a postgraduate or undergraduate course.
A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) grants you a partial subsidy, which means you’ll pay a smaller student contribution to fees across a wide variety of government subsidised courses. The student contribution amount varies from course to course, but you’ll always receive a discount when compared to fee-paying places.
There are a few eligibility criteria you'll need to meet in order to get a CSP, like:
You'll also need to meet some eligibility requirements that are specific to your course. Postgraduate CSP availability can also depend on course CSP availability and fee-help eligibility.
Read the full set of eligibility criteria.
The application process for partial government fee coverage is easy – here are our step-by-step instructions to apply for a Commonwealth supported place with us.
Choose your university course from any field of study in the list above.
Get your supporting documents ready (e.g. your proof of citizenship or resident status).
Set up an account with us and submit your application. You will be automatically considered for a CSP.
Once you hit apply we'll get back to you with the results of your application within 10 days. You'll also find out if you got a CSP. If you succeed, you'll receive a letter of offer soon after!
Need some help choosing a postgraduate course? Our friendly team are always happy to answer any questions you might have.
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At Charles Sturt we want you to succeed – and we'll here to help you do just that. Get help with your fees and scholarships and access Australian government resources like studyassist. Here's how.
Learn more about the different ways you can pay for your course and how the fee structure works, including HECS-HELP loans.
Or get in touch if you have questions about our postgraduate CSPs, the courses on offer or application process.
As a Charles Sturt student, you'll have 24/7 access to student support, including parent support and childcare, career development and mentoring, and support with your studies and coursework.
A Commonwealth-supported place (CSP) is a spot in one of our courses where the Australian Government has agreed to pay for part of your fees. It's a subsidy to lower your course fees, and you don't have to pay it back.
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is a loan taken to pay for the rest of your fees so you don't have to pay them up front. A HECS-HELP loan does have to be repaid, and this will be automatically done through your taxes once you have reached a certain earning threshold.
This also means you can have both a CSP and a HECS-HELP loan at the same time.
Every application made for a Charles Sturt course is automatically considered for a CSP. If you have been offered a full-fee paying place, that means you have not been found eligible to get a CSP for the course you have chosen.
But don't worry, there is still help at hand! If you enrol in a full-fee paying place in a course, you can access a loan similar to a HECS-HELP loan called a FEE-HELP loan, which is almost the same except it is specifically for students studying a full-fee paying degree.
A CSP is not transferable from one course to another, or one university to another. If you want to change courses, you'll have to go through the process of withdrawing correctly from your subjects or courses. Then when you apply for your new course, if it's with Charles Sturt you'll be automatically reconsidered for a new CSP. You might also need to re-apply for a FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP loan if you have one.
