Postgraduate Commonwealth supported places (CSPs)
A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is a place at a university or higher education provider where the government pays part of your fees. This is a subsidy, not a loan, and you don't have to pay it back. This subsidy does not cover the entire cost of your study. You pay the other part—this is called your student contribution amount. With a CSP, you will pay the equivalent of undergraduate fees for your graduate coursework program. You must pay your student contribution amount (i.e. what you owe for your studies), by the census date.
Some students can get a HECS-HELP loan to pay their student contribution amount. Other students will need to organise to pay this amount upfront.
Process
The ANU College of Law offers a small number of CSPs and they are allocated each year on the basis of academic merit. New applicants through UAC, as well as current Juris Doctor students who have not yet been allocated a CSP are considered. With the volume of applications we receive for the JD program each year, it has always been our practice to consider all applicants that have applied for the program, rather than require a separate application form for consideration. New applicants through UAC are ranked in order of the GPA from their previous studies. Current students in the JD are considered on the basis of the ANU JD GPA (with the completion of at least 3 courses – the normal full-time first semester enrolments) Both groups are merged together and those ranked highest out of the available number of places receive a CSP. Successful applicants are notified via email.
Eligibility for CSP
- You must be a domestic student ie Australian citizen, New Zealand citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or holder of a humanitarian visa OR
- You must be a continuing or commencing Juris Doctor student OR
- You must be a new student who has applied to commence study in the Juris Doctor. Applicants with conditional offers are considered for a CSP but they are required to meet any outstanding conditions by the first Friday of January for Semester 1 intake, and by end of June for Semester 2 intake (if available).
- Non-award study is not eligible for a CSP place.
Conditions
- You are expected to take up your CSP in the semester for which it was offered. Applications for deferral will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and should be made in writing to the College Dean. Please note that work commitments will not be considered sufficient grounds for deferral of a Commonwealth Supported Place.
- The CSP is available for the prescribed duration of the Juris Doctor program. Some Colleges may consider keeping your CSP if you transfer to another Program within the same College. These cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis and please contact your enrolling College for further information.
- If you withdraw from your program the CSP is forfeited.
- You will be subject to the usual rules of the program for which you are enrolled. Student contribution amounts for new and continuing students by ANU are assessed in accordance with the amount stipulated by the Government for Commonwealth supported students. Current amounts for Commonwealth supported places are given at the Study Assist website.
* Please note - CSP places for 2019 have been allocated. Provided there are CSP's available, candidates will be ranked in January 2020 for the next intake.
