Published
- Contribution gap, 2026
- $12,661
- Between the highest ($17,399) and lowest ($4,738) annual HECS-HELP contribution
- Bond Medical Program
- $470,540
- Indicative total cost, above the $186,544 HELP loan limit for that field
- Female share of commencers
- 62%
- Domestic commencing students in 2024, up from 58% in 2015
- Combined HELP loan limit
- $129,883
- Most courses; $186,544 for medicine, dentistry, vet science and aviation
HECS-HELP is the loan that covers the student contribution for a Commonwealth supported place, commonly known as HECS, where the government subsidises part of the course cost. In 2026, that contribution ranges from $4,738 a year for nursing, education and agriculture to $17,399 a year for law, commerce and related fields. FEE-HELP, a separate loan for full-fee courses such as many postgraduate degrees, works differently again: providers set the price, and it is usually quoted as a total course cost rather than a yearly rate.
How long does it take to repay HECS debt in 2026?The minimum income needed to start repaying a HECS-HELP debt is $69,528 in the 2026–27 financial year, up from $54,435 just two years earlier. From 1 July 2025, compulsory repayments are calculated on…
How HECS indexation works in Australia, and how it has changed debts over timeIndexation applies once a year, on 1 June, to the part of a loan balance that has remained unpaid for more than 11 months. Debt taken on within the previous 11 months is not yet indexed, and indexatio…
Average HECS debt in Australia in 2026: how much do students owe?The average outstanding HELP debt in Australia was $27,739 in the 2024-25 financial year, up slightly from $27,641 the year before and 165% higher than two decades ago. Across the country, 2,962,650 d…Section 01 · Discipline costs
Which degrees have the highest HECS-HELP student contributions in 2026?
The 2026 student contribution ranges from $4,738 to $17,399 per year, a gap of $12,661 depending solely on discipline.
Every Commonwealth supported place is assigned to a funding cluster, but the student contribution amount does not map neatly to one cluster number. In 2026, the same funding cluster can include more than one student contribution amount, depending on the discipline group. The same law unit has the same maximum student contribution whether it is studied in Sydney, Perth or Hobart.
Maximum annual HECS-HELP student contribution by discipline group in Australia, 2026 Commonwealth supported places, per year of full-time study.
The four main student contribution amounts range from $4,738 to $17,399 per year. The highest annual contribution is more than three and a half times the lowest.
| Full list of 2026 HECS-HELP student contribution amounts | |
|---|---|
| Discipline group | 2026 student contribution |
| Law, accounting, administration, economics, commerce, communications, society and culture | $17,399 |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinary science | $13,558 |
| Allied health, other health, built environment, computing, visual and performing arts, professional pathway psychology and social work | $9,537 |
| Engineering, surveying, environmental studies, science | $9,537 |
| Pathology | $9,537 |
| Education, postgraduate clinical psychology, English, mathematics, statistics | $4,738 |
| Nursing, Indigenous and foreign languages | $4,738 |
| Agriculture | $4,738 |
Source · Department of Education, 2026 indexed rates.
For context, multiplying these annual figures across a standard three-year bachelor’s degree gives a rough sense of scale: about $14,214 in total student contributions at the lowest student contribution amount, compared with about $52,197 at the highest. Longer professional degrees add further years at the relevant rate, so a four-year engineering degree or a six-year medical degree would accumulate more. These are simple multiplications of the published annual rate, not official total-debt figures, since the government does not publish average HELP debt by named degree.
Section 02 · Full-fee debt
How much can a full-fee degree cost in Australia?
A full-fee medical degree at Bond University can cost more than $470,000, well beyond the $186,544 HELP loan limit for that field.
HECS-HELP only applies to Commonwealth supported places. A separate loan, FEE-HELP, covers full-fee places, which include most full-fee postgraduate coursework degrees and some full-fee undergraduate places. Each provider sets its own price, usually as a total course fee rather than an annual rate.
Domestic postgraduate commencements rose from 102,359 in 2015 to 118,607 in 2024, an increase of about 16%, while undergraduate commencements fell slightly over the same period. This shows postgraduate study has become a larger part of domestic commencements than it was in 2015, but commencement data does not directly show how many students used FEE-HELP.
The combined HELP loan limit in 2026 is $129,883 for most courses, and $186,544 for medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and eligible aviation courses. That higher limit reflects how long and expensive courses in those fields can be, as the Bond example below shows. HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP have drawn on this same combined limit since 2020.
- Combined HELP loan limit
- $129,883
- Covers HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP and VET Student Loans together
- Higher limit
- $186,544
- Medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and eligible aviation courses in 2026
- Shared limit since
- 2020
- When HECS-HELP began counting toward the same combined loan limit as FEE-HELP
Study Assist, borrowing limit and HELP debt balance pages.
Full-fee course cost examples
A Juris Doctor at Deakin costs $52,197 as a Commonwealth supported place, or $123,000 as a full-fee place, the same degree priced two different ways.
There is no central price list for full-fee courses, so the closest way to show the range is a small number of real, currently published prices. These are individual examples, not an average or a comprehensive survey.
| Full-fee course cost examples in Australia, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Course | Provider | Indicative total cost | Loan type |
| Juris Doctor, Commonwealth supported place | Deakin University | $52,197 (3 years) | HECS-HELP |
| Juris Doctor, full-fee place | Deakin University | $123,000 (3 years) | FEE-HELP |
| Full-Time MBA | Melbourne Business School | $112,536 (2 years) | FEE-HELP |
| Medical Program (BMedSt/MD) — Highest | Bond University | $470,540 (14 semesters) | FEE-HELP |
Source · Deakin University, Melbourne Business School and Bond University course fee pages, 2026.
MBA fees in Australia range from $16,000 to $153,000 for the full degree, with most programmes costing $50,000 to $80,000. Melbourne Business School’s $112,536 full-time programme sits well above the middle of that range. This comes from a private industry compilation, not an official government figure, and is included here for context rather than as a benchmark.
Section 03 · Job-ready Graduates
How Job-ready Graduates changed HECS-HELP course costs
In the first year of the 2021 changes, law and commerce contributions rose by $3,345 a year, while agriculture fell by $5,577.
The Job-ready Graduates package replaced the old system of eight funding clusters and three price bands with four clusters and four bands from the 2021 academic year. Continuing students who would otherwise have faced a higher contribution were grandfathered onto earlier rates.
| HECS-HELP student contribution, 2020 versus 2021 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Discipline group | 2020 | 2021 | Change |
| Law, accounting, commerce, economics, administration — Largest rise | $11,155 | $14,500 | +$3,345 |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinary science | $11,155 | $11,300 | +$145 |
| Engineering, science, surveying | $9,527 | $7,950 | -$1,577 |
| Education | $6,684 | $3,950 | -$2,734 |
| Nursing | $6,684 | $3,950 | -$2,734 |
| Agriculture | $9,527 | $3,950 | -$5,577 |
Source · Department of Education, 2020 and 2021 indexed rates.
Since 2021, the new student contribution amounts have continued to rise with indexation. Law, commerce and related fields climbed from $14,500 to $17,399 by 2026, while lower-contribution fields such as education, nursing and agriculture rose from $3,950 to $4,738. Both moves reflect ordinary annual indexation applied inside the post-2021 structure, not a second policy redesign.
| HECS-HELP student contribution, 2021 versus 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Student contribution group | 2021 rate | 2026 rate | Increase |
| Law, commerce, communications, society and culture — Highest | $14,500 | $17,399 | +$2,899 |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinary science | $11,300 | $13,558 | +$2,258 |
| Allied health, engineering, science, computing | $7,950 | $9,537 | +$1,587 |
| Education, nursing, agriculture and related lower-contribution fields | $3,950 | $4,738 | +$788 |
Source · Department of Education, 2021 and 2026 indexed rates.
Section 04 · Field of study
Which fields of study have the highest potential HECS-HELP exposure?
Society and culture, Australia’s largest field of study with 98,994 domestic commencements in 2024, sits at the highest 2026 student contribution amount, and so does management and commerce, the third largest at 58,618.
| Domestic commencements and student contribution by field, 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Field of education | 2024 commencements | Change since 2015 | Indicative 2026 student contribution amount |
| Society and culture — Highest cost | 98,994 | -7.5% | $17,399 |
| Health | 93,979 | +25.0% | Spans $4,738 to $13,558 |
| Management and commerce — Highest cost | 58,618 | -15.9% | $17,399 |
| Education | 46,436 | -0.5% | $4,738 |
| Natural and physical sciences | 33,125 | -1.5% | $9,537 |
| Creative arts | 25,405 | -21.8% | $9,537 |
| Engineering and related technologies | 23,616 | +15.0% | $9,537 |
| Information technology | 21,983 | +91.4% | $9,537 |
| Agriculture, environmental and related studies | 5,102 | +6.3% | Spans $4,738 to $9,537 |
Source · Department of Education, key findings from the 2024 higher education student statistics, and 2026 funding cluster tables.
Two things stand out. Information technology grew faster than any other field shown, up 91.4% in domestic commencements between 2015 and 2024, while creative arts fell furthest, down 21.8% over the same period. And the size of a field does not track its price: education is the fourth largest field and among the lowest-cost groups, while society and culture and management and commerce are both large and sit at the top of the pricing scale.
Section 05 · Gender
Women make up a growing majority of domestic commencing students
Sixty-two per cent of domestic commencing students were female in 2024, up from 58% in 2015.
Domestic commencing student data is not the same as HELP borrower data. However, because HELP debt starts with enrolment in eligible higher education study, the gender split of domestic commencements gives useful context for where potential new HELP exposure may sit. No official public table tracks HELP balances by gender directly.
- Female share, 2024
- 62%
- Domestic commencing students recorded as female or male
- Female commencements
- +7.3%
- Growth in female domestic commencements, 2015 to 2024
- Male commencements
- -5.9%
- Change in male domestic commencements over the same period
Department of Education, key findings from the 2024 higher education student statistics.
Section 06 · Repayment
Does field of study affect HECS-HELP repayment speed?
Below $69,528 a year, no HELP repayment is required at all, regardless of field of study, provider or debt size.
From the 2025-26 income year, HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP repayments both use the same marginal system, based on repayment income rather than field of study.
Since 2020, HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP also combine into a single balance for repayment purposes. A borrower with both loan types does not choose which one to pay off first, or pay them at different rates. The entire combined balance is repaid together, at whatever rate their income places them in.
- $75,000 income
- $821a year
- $150,000 income
- $12,476a year
- $200,000 income
- $20,000a year
Calculated using the published 2026-27 ATO repayment formula.
These three examples show why the system is described as income-contingent. Someone on $150,000 pays an amount calculated under the 2026-27 marginal repayment formula, regardless of whether their debt came from a $4,738-a-year nursing degree or a $470,540 medical programme.
Section 07 · The bigger picture
Why total HELP debt keeps rising in Australia
HELP debt reached a fair value of $51.4 billion across 2.96 million debtors at 30 June 2025, according to the 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Government policy sets the student contribution for a Commonwealth supported place. Provider pricing sets the cost of full-fee study. The 2021 Job-ready Graduates package shows how directly policy can reshape Commonwealth supported place pricing: it moved some disciplines up and others down within one year, separate from ordinary indexation. FEE-HELP pricing works differently. Providers set their own fees for full-fee courses, and some provider-set courses, such as Bond University’s Medical Program, can sit well above the HELP loan limit.
Meanwhile, society and culture, the field with the largest domestic commencing cohort in 2024, sits in the highest-cost Commonwealth supported discipline group, alongside management and commerce. Women made up 62% of domestic commencing students recorded as female or male in 2024, although that figure is enrolment data rather than direct HELP borrower data.
- HELP debt outstanding
- $51.4bn
- Fair value at 30 June 2025
- HELP debtors
- 2.96m
- At 30 June 2025
- Average repayment time
- 10.2 yrs
- To repay a HELP debt in full, to June 2025
Commonwealth Treasury, 2025-26 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
Put together, the data shows four separate forces shaping HELP debt: discipline determines the student contribution for Commonwealth supported places, the 2021 Job-ready Graduates package reset those contributions across fields, full-fee study can add a larger provider-priced layer of debt, and repayment speed depends on income rather than course type. What the data cannot yet show is average HELP debt by named degree, field of study or gender.
What does a Commonwealth supported place cost in 2026?
HECS debt: quick answers
How much does a HECS-HELP degree cost per year?
In 2026, the annual student contribution for a Commonwealth supported place ranges from $4,738 for nursing, education and agriculture to $17,399 for law, commerce, economics, communications and related fields. The exact amount depends on the discipline of each unit of study, not only on the university attended.
What is the difference between HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP?
HECS-HELP pays the student contribution for a Commonwealth supported place, where the government subsidises part of the cost. FEE-HELP is a separate loan for full-fee places, mainly postgraduate coursework, where the provider sets the course price and there is no Commonwealth supported place subsidy. Since 2020, both loan types have drawn on the same combined HELP loan limit and are repaid together as one HELP balance.
How much can someone borrow through HELP?
The combined HELP loan limit in 2026 is $129,883 for most courses, and $186,544 for medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and eligible aviation courses. The limit is indexed each year and covers HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP and VET Student Loans together.
Does field of study affect how fast someone repays their HELP debt?
Not directly. Below $69,528 a year in 2026-27, no compulsory repayment is required at all, regardless of field of study. Above that threshold, repayments are based on income, not on what someone studied or how large their debt is. Two people on the same income repay at the same rate, although a smaller balance will usually be cleared sooner at the same repayment rate.
References
- Funding Clusters and Indexed Rates (2026 rates) · education.gov.au
- 2020 Indexed Rates · education.gov.au
- Department of Education: Key Findings, 2024 Higher Education Student Statistics · education.gov.au
- ATO Study and Training Support Loans Rates and Repayment Thresholds · ato.gov.au
- Your Borrowing Limit — Study Assist · studyassist.gov.au
- Checking Your HELP Debt — Study Assist · studyassist.gov.au
- Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2025-26 · budget.gov.au
- Juris Doctor course fees — Deakin University · deakin.edu.au
- Full-time MBA fees — Melbourne Business School · mbs.edu
- Medical Program fees — Bond University · bond.edu.au
- Medical Program FAQs — Bond University · bond.edu.au
- Australian MBA Fees — MBA News Australia (2025 fee survey) · mbanews.com.au
- FEE-HELP — Study Assist · studyassist.gov.au
- FEE-HELP and loan fee exemption — Bond University · bond.edu.au