Financial information for Local students
- Research course fees
- Coursework course fees
- FEE-HELP
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS-HELP)
- Refunds
- Student union and association subscriptions
- Scholarships
- Cost of living
The Research Training Scheme (RTS) covers tuition fees for local research students for the following lengths of time:
Doctor of Philosophy & Doctor of Public Health: 8 full-time or 16 part-time semesters
Masters by research: 4 full-time or 8 part-time semesters
In effect, this means that as long as local students complete their research degrees within the specified periods, they are not required to pay tuition fees. Local students are not required to apply for an RTS fee exemption since it is automatically awarded to students enrolling in postgraduate research courses. If students take longer than the specified period to complete their degree, they will be liable to pay tuition fees. For advice on the current fees applicable to students who have used their RTS entitlement contact the of the Student Centre.
Please note that RTS does not cover subscriptions to student unions or associations.
All postgraduate coursework courses are fee-paying courses, the only exception being the Graduate Diploma in Indingenous Health Promotion which is a HECS-HELP liable course. Fees are payable before each semester and relate to the cost of the units of study in which you are enrolling for that semester. Fees are currently an allowable tax deduction in some circumstances. Please check your eligibility with the Australian Taxation Office and enquire about related expenses which may also be tax deductible. Your employer may have a scheme for encouraging further study and be willing to pay your fees.
List of Coursework Fees for Local Students
FEE-HELP is an interest-free loan facility for eligible students who are enrolled in fee-paying, postgraduate non-research courses. Unlike HECS-HELP liable courses, institutions set the tuition fee for fee-paying postgraduate courses and students are required to pay the full amount.
FEE-HELP enables students to obtain a loan from the Commonwealth Government to pay all or part of their tuition fees. Eligibile students repay their loan through the taxation system once their income reaches the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment.
Click here for more information regarding FEE-HELP.
At postgraduate level, HECS-HELP loans are available to eligible students enrolled in Commonwealth supported places. A HECS-HELP loan will cover all or part of the student contribution amount. If you receive a HECS-HELP loan, the Australian Government pays the loan amount directly to your higher education provider on your behalf and a HECS-HELP debt is recorded with the Tax Office.
There are no loan fees charged on HECS-HELP loans.
The Faculty of Medicine offers one HECS-liable postgraduate course, the Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion.
Click here for more information regarding HECS-HELP.
The University’s refund policy is as follows:
- Students withdrawing from a full fee-paying award course by the census date in either semester (31 March for Session 1 and 31 August for Session 2) will be refunded 100% of their tuition fees for the relevant semester.
- Students withdrawing from a full fee-paying award course after the census date in either semester are not eligible for any refund.
- Students withdrawing from selected units of study taken prior to the relevant session census dates receive a 100% refund. The relevant census dates for intensive sessions may vary significantly from those mentioned above.
Students may at any time make a request to the Student Centre for a refund of fees due to Special Circumstances. Generally Special Circumstances include cases of serious illness or misadventure and the circumstances must be out of your control. To apply for a refund of fees, after the census date for a given semester, students must complete a relevant application form and supply the required documentation as stipulated on the form guidelines.
The representation and services provided to all postgraduate students by the student organisations of the University of Sydney are funded through student subscriptions. Subscriptions can be paid directly to the union or association.
SUPRA
The Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA) provides academic and welfare advice, policy research, campaigns, advocacy and functions/networks.
University of Sydney Union
The University of Sydney Union provides a wide range of essential campus services, catering, child care and more.
Sydney University Sport
Membership of Sydney University Sport entitles you to use facilities such as the pool and gymnasium, participate in all sport and recreational activities, as well as become a member of any of the 42 registered clubs at members' rates.
There are a number of different web sites which detail available scholarships:
- Click here for details of University wide scholarships and grants available to research students,
- Click here for details of Faculty of Medicine scholarships available for research and coursework students,
- Click here for details of Faculty of Pharmacy scholarships available for research students.
Please note a scholarship application form is NOT an application for candidature to a degree. Applicants must apply separately to the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit for admission to candidature.
Listed here are some of the major scholarships available for postgraduate research students at the University of Sydney. This is not an exhaustive list and details are liable to change at any time.
- The Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) is open to Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or permanent residents of Australia. Awards are funded by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) and are tenable at an Australian tertiary institution for doctoral and masters research degrees. Competition for the APA is extremely high and successful applicants must have a first class Honours degree or equivalent. Application forms are available from the Research Office from 31 August in the year prior to the first year of enrolment in the Masters or PhD. Students who will have completed one year of study towards Masters by Research or up to 2.5 years of study towards PhD by the commencement of their scholarship are also able to apply. Applications close 31 October.
Click here for further information on APAs. - University of Sydney Postgraduate Award (UPA)
The University of Sydney Postgraduate Award has conditions and allowances similar to the APA. However, the award is funded by The University of Sydney and is not transferable to other institutions. Applicants for APA will be automatically considered for UPA. Applications close 31 October.
Click here for further information on UPAs. - National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Scholarships
The NHMRC provide a variety of scholarships for medical, dental, biomedical and public health masters or PhD degree students. Funding is also available for Aboriginal health research and research into HIV/AIDS. The scholarships are tenable for up to three years for PhD candidates and one or two years for masters candidates. Intending applicants should contact the Research Office in May.
Further information can be obtained by consulting the NHMRC web site. Applications must be submitted through the Research Office. Applications close early August. - The University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme (PRSS)
Eligible postgraduate research students may apply for grants from $200 to $1,200 for conference expenses, expenses in connection with the use of, or visit to use specialist facilities or to learn specialist techniques directly related to the students’ research. Grants can also be applied for purchase of specialist books, periodicals, software or minor computer equipment that are essential to the students’ research but are not normally available in the Department/School. Funds are allocated to each Faculty in April.
For more information visit the Research Office's website for further details or contact your school or faculty as below:
Faculty of Dentistry:
- Greg Murray, phone +61 2 9845 6380 or email
Faculty of Medicine:
- Central Clinical School: Dina Bowe, phone +61 2 9351 2405 or email
- Children's Hospital at Westmead: Denise Yuille, phone +61 2 9845 3370 or email
- Concord Clinical School: Vicky Skleparis, phone +61 2 9767 5378 or email
- Northern Clinical School: Pauline Hodgson, phone +61 2 9926 7097or email
- Office of Postgraduate Medical Education: Rita Gudinho, phone +61 2 9351 5006 or email
- Western Clinical School: Naomi Muir, phone +61 2 9845 6303 or email
- School of Public Health: Alison Birt, phone +61 2 9351 4367 or email
- School of Medical Sciences: Yvonne Smythe, phone +61 2 9351 2841 or email
Faculty of Pharmacy:
- Rebecca Liu, phone +61 2 9036 7243 or email
Other Health Related Scholarships
Following are some of the many health related funding bodies. In addition, major teaching hospitals and some area health services also offer scholarships.
- Alcohol Education & Rehabilitation Foundation Ltd
Tel: (02) 6122 8600, Email:
Web: http://www.aerf.com.au
Closing dates vary. - Asthma NSW
Tel: (02) 9906 3233, Email:
Web: http://www.asthmansw.org.au
Applications close September. - Australian Rotary Health Research Fund – Mental Health
Tel: (02) 9633 4888, Email:
Web: http://arhrf.org.au/
Applications close August. - Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Tel: (02) 9256 5452, Email:
Web: http://www.csanz.edu.au
Closing date vary. - Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging– Quality Use of Medicines Research Scholarships
Tel: (02) 6289 8149, Email: not given
Web: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/nmp-quality.htm
Applications close November. - Community Health & Anti-Tuberculosis Association – Ann Woolcock Postgraduate Research Scholarships
Tel: (02) 9371 7952 Email:
Web: http://www.chata.org.au
Applications close August. - Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA)
Tel: (02) 9256 5417, Email: .
Web:www.gesa.org.au
Applications close September. - Heart Foundation of Australia
Tel: (03) 9329 8511, Email:
Web: http://www.heartfoundation.com.au
Medical Postgraduate Scholarships - applications close May.
Non-Medical Postgraduate Scholarships - applications close August. - Kidney Foundation
Tel: (08) 8334 7555, Email:
Web: http://www.kidney.org.au
Applications close September. - The Menzies Research Scholarship in the Allied Health Sciences
Tel: (03) 9419 5699, Email:
Web: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~menzies/
Applications close June. - Multiple Sclerosis Australia - Postgraduate Research Scholarships
Tel: (08) 9346 2471, Email:
Web: http://www.msaustralia.org.au/
Applications close August. - Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation Research Scholarships
(Otorhinolaryngology or related areas) Tel: (03) 9349 2622, Email: .
Web: www.alfredresearch.org/external/Garnett%20Passe.htm
Applications close August. - Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Tel: (02) 9256 5444, Email:
Web: http://www.racp.edu.au
Applications close 1 May and 1 July. New awards may be offered outside these dates. - Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Tel: (03) 9249 1200, Email:
Web: http://www.surgeons.org/
Applications close May.
A single student in private accommodation can live on approximately A$18,720 each year or $360 a week in Sydney. This doesn’t include the cost of textbooks or expenses such as vacations, medicines or owning a car. Costs can be substantially reduced by sharing accommodation and meals. Rent will cost around A$150+ a week; food A$100; travel, A$40; with around A$70 for other expenses.