Course fees

If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, New Zealand citizen, or Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place.

Being enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place means that your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government.

You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan which will allow you to defer your student contribution.

Find out more about  Commonwealth supported places and HELP loans

If you are not eligible for a Commonwealth supported place, your course fees will not be subsidised by the Australian Government. This means you need to pay the full amount of your fees.

You may still be eligible for the Australian Government’s Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), which allows you to defer the payment of your fees.

Find out more about  HELP loans

If you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen studying a graduate research degree you are likely to be awarded a Research Training Program (RTP) place.

This means you will have no tuition fees to pay for a period of time, usually between 3 and 3.5 years.

If you have an RTP place and have not completed your research within the set time, you may be charged domestic tuition fees for the additional period it takes to complete your course.

If you are not awarded an RTP place then you will pay domestic tuition fees.

For more information on the Research Training Program contact the Graduate Research Office.

You're an international student if you hold or are applying for a Student, Diplomatic, Bridging, Temporary or Provisional Resident visa, or are a permanent resident of New Zealand.

Your Letter of Offer will contain an estimated annual tuition fee based on 24 points.

Your tuition fees are unit-based for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and calculated based on points and area of study.

The tuition fee rate is adjusted to the rate of inflation in the education sector each year. If you change courses, your fee rate will be reassessed and you will pay the fee rate for the new course for that year.

If your visa status changes this may affect your fee rate so it is important that you advise Murdoch of any change as soon as possible. Find out more about changing your visa status below.

If you’re an exchange student from one of our official partner universities, you will continue to pay your tuition fees to your home university while studying at Murdoch. Check with your home university for fee information.

For all other students, the 2021 Study Abroad tuition fee is $6,900 for either 3 units (9 Murdoch credit points) or 4 units (12 Murdoch credit points). Some unit exclusions apply.

Study abroad refund policy

Sometimes circumstances change and you are no longer able to take up your place at Murdoch. In some cases, you may be eligible for a refund or partial refund. If you’re receiving a scholarship or financial aid, please check with your lending institution to learn about any policies that may apply if you request a refund.

If you are enrolled in an OUA Commonwealth supported place, your fees will be subsidised by the Australian government. You may also be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan which will allow you to defer your student contribution.

If you are not enrolled in an OUA Commonwealth supported place, your fees will be charged when you enrol through Open Universities Australia.

If you’re studying individual units at Murdoch instead of a full course leading to a qualification your fees will be charged at the full rate and must be paid in advance.

These units are not Commonwealth supported, so the cost will be higher than for the same units undertaken as part of an undergraduate degree. Postgraduate full fee paying units are charged at the same cost as units taken within a degree.

Your fees may be deferred to a  FEE-HELP loan if you are studying a bridging course for overseas trained professionals.

If you are studying Murdoch units for credit towards a course at another Australian institution, your fees will be charged in line with your enrolment at your home university.

If you gain Australian citizenship or a permanent humanitarian visa, your fee status will change to a domestic student. You may be eligible for a Commonwealth supported place depending on your course and may be able to defer your fees to a HELP loan.

You will need to present your original Certificate of Citizenship (Australian citizens) or visa grant notification letter (permanent humanitarian visa holders) to Student Central or send us a certified copy. We must sight the original document or certified copy.

If you gain permanent residency, your fee status will change to a domestic student. You may be able to hold a Commonwealth supported place depending on your course but you will not be able to defer your fees to a HELP loan. You need to pay your fees upfront and must stay in Australia for the duration your course. The only exception is if you need to be outside Australia to meet the requirements of a particular unit.

If you change your visa status but do not become a permanent resident, your fee category will remain as an international student and you will be required to pay your fees upfront. Depending on your visa type you may also need to hold a current Confirmation of Enrolment and valid overseas student health cover.

International students studying in Australia are only able to study in an international fee-paying place and must pay overseas student fees.

If you have changed your visa status you will need to scan and send your visa grant notice through MyAnswers. Your details will be verified against the Department of Home Affairs Visa Entitlement Verification Online system.