Mature Study

There are many unforeseen costs associated with tertiary study and it is important to plan for these expenses. Examples of hidden costs that you need to take into account include:

Refer to the following worksheet to assist you plan your budget for tertiary study:

• Worksheet 6 - Financial planning
  (worksheet 6 as text 27 KB or worksheet 6 as PDF 79KB)

Most students will need to refer to text books to submit assignments and undertake research. Students are often required to purchase core text books. Libraries do provide copies of text books but student numbers can outweigh the number of books available in the library. New editions of text books are also being published and some library book versions can be out of date. To save money on the purchase of text books ask your lecturer if there are any second hand text books for sale. Many courses run second hand text book sales with students from the previous year selling their text books at discounted rates.

Course materials are an important cost to factor into study. In some courses students will be required to pay for extra materials associated with undertaking their course. These materials are necessary for a student to undertake certain elements of their course and which they keep once their course is complete. For example art canvases, brushes, sketch books, paint and bound reading materials.

The course materials each student may require depends solely on the course they are undertaking. Some education providers will charge students a materials fee and purchase the materials directly without students having to locate and purchase the materials individually. To find out about the extra materials that may be required for your course, prior to applying, contact the course coordinator. Once you have enrolled in your course your lecturer will also inform you of any extra materials or materials fees that you may be required to fund.

During the course of study most students will need to photocopy. Photocopying services are available at most tertiary institution libraries but the service is not free. Discounted rates per page are charged for students but the cost of photocopying large amounts of material does add up.

Many tertiary institutions provide course notes online and students are expected to have access to the internet as part of their studies. Tertiary institutions provide free internet and computer access to students on campus but students are expected to adhere to strict time limits and pay for each page they print. This can be expensive if you need to print large documents. Students who also study their course online or externally will need to access the internet. You can budget for the cost of downloading or printing documents on campus or for the cost of internet access at home. The cost of downloading and printing is approximately 20 cents per page.

Some tertiary courses have practical components that students are required to undertake for example field trips. These placements are often at the expense of the student and it is important to find out about these costs in advance. Many tertiary institutions provide students with essential equipment such as tents but students will be required to meet any outstanding costs such as travel, food expenses and appropriate clothing.

To find out if your course has practical components that are funded by the student contact the course coordinator in advance. This will assist you budget for extra expenses associated with your study.