How much does it cost to study at UWS?

There are a number of costs associated with studying at University. These include:

Student Contribution and Tuition Fees

Parking

Handbook Fees
The University Calendar is no longer available, either online or in hard copy format.  Students need to use the links on the Current students and Student Administration pages to get to online Policies, Important Dates etc.  The Handbook is no longer available in hard copy format, but is accessible using the online course and unit search or is downloadable in .pdf format. 

Encumbrances
An encumbrance is a sanction applied to students with outstanding fees or fines imposed by any area of the university, such as library fines for overdue books. An encumbrance has serious consequences: among other things, it will cancel your access to WebCT and Library facilities, will stop you from getting exam results, and you won’t be able to enrol for the next teaching session.

It’s really important to pay attention to the due dates on notices from the uni such as invoices, enrolment information and even due dates for library books, since it’s time-consuming to rectify the situation once an encumbrance has been placed.  Further information is available in the UWS Calendar or on the UWS Encumbrances for non payment of student fees web page.

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Textbooks
Textbooks are an expensive purchase, and costs will vary according to the course and units you’re studying. For some courses such as law, you will be required to purchase texts that you will use for open book exams and as reference books in the future. Law textbooks will cost you a minimum of $450 for 4 units. For other courses, your texts may be cheaper, and you may get away with not buying any for some units.

Textbooks are available on each campus from the University Co-op Bookshop. The Bookshop on the campus at which you’re studying a unit will hold copies of the texts for that unit. You can buy a Co-op Membership card for $20, which gives you lifetime discounts. The Co-op member discount is around 10% on all books. This applies to purchases made in a bookshop, through mail order or through the Co-op on-line bookshop. The discount does not apply to Co-op subscriptions, services, software, books marked net, non-book items or any item purchased on an individual member's account. The Co-op Bookshop is online at www.coop-bookshop.com.au

The UWS Library purchases at least one copy of every
prescribed textbook, and they are held in ‘closed reserve’ which means they can’t be taken out of the library. You can photocopy one chapter or 10% of the number of pages of a textbook, whichever is greater, without infringing copyright laws. The library also aims to hold every ‘recommended reading’ book in closed reserve.

Textbook Tips

• It’s usually a good idea to wait until the first week of lectures to find out from your lecturers which texts are essential to purchase. If the books have been used in previous years, this will give you the option of buying second hand books from noticeboards or the Student Association. 
• Check with the lecturer whether a new edition has been printed before buying an older text, as usually a new edition contains updated material.
• It’s not necessary to purchase books labelled as ‘Recommended Reading’ in your subject guide. These can be accessed at the library.
• Some second hand textbooks are available through the Student Associations on each campus, or students may put ads on the noticeboards around campus.
• There is a free website offering second-hand textbooks for Australian university and TAFE students, where you can buy and sell textbooks.  See www.textbookexchange.com.au
• Sharing the cost of text books with friends is another option to save money. You can study together or borrow the book from each other over the teaching session.
• Try to source your books as early as possible. There are plenty of people looking for a bargain, so make sure you don't miss out!
• At the end of each session you can sell the books you no longer need, and use the money you get to buy more.
• Make sure you return library books on time to avoid paying late fees. $1 per day per book can add up to a very large fine if you’re not careful, and if fines are not paid in full, you can’t graduate.

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Other study costs

Photocopying & Printing: Take the time to look over a journal article or textbook chapter before you photocopy or print. If there’s only a small amount of information relevant to what you need, you’re better off making notes (remember to reference) than wasting paper to print/photocopy. Frequent printing of lecture notes at the computer labs can add considerably to your stationery costs. Look around for cheaper photocopying rates, and compare places like Officeworks with the university libraries.

Stationery: Writing paper and photocopy/printer paper can be surprisingly expensive. Buy large packs of A4 notepaper at discount stores (e.g. Kmart, Big W) and keep any left over for the next session. Use both sides of the paper for writing notes and for printing draft versions of assignments. Recycle binders/lever arch folders after each session, rather than storing notes in them.

Equipment: Many courses will also require you to buy specialised equipment, such as lab coats for science, calculators for accounting or engineering, art supplies for visual arts subjects, etc. The uwsconnect retail outlets on each campus stock all required equipment at reasonable prices. Students also place items for sale on noticeboards.

Additional course-related costs: Some courses will have additional, compulsory costs. For example, PDHPE students must complete a Senior First Aid Certificate (around $160) as part of the requirements for one unit of their course. Nursing students have a number of additional costs, such as immunisations, a Lab Pack and a uniform for Clinical Placements. Check with your School for information about your particular course.

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Related Links

• Dollars & Sense