Future Students
Am I eligible for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP?
Am I eligible for a Commonwealth-supported place (CSP), or HECS-HELP?
Commonwealth-supported students are domestic students who have been offered a Commonwealth-supported place (CSP) by the University. This means the Commonwealth funds part of the cost of their study, while students pay a student contribution amount for their units of study. To be eligible for a CSP, you must either:
- be an Australian citizen residing in Australia for at least one unit of study contributing to your program, OR
- be a permanent visa holder or New Zealand citizen residing in Australia for the duration of your unit of study.
A HECS-HELP loan allows students to borrow from the Commonwealth to cover some or all of their student contribution. To be eligible for HECS-HELP, you must fulfill all of the following criteria:
- be studying in a Commonwealth-supported place.
- be an Australian citizen residing in Australia for at least one unit of study contributing to your program OR a permanent humanitarian visa holder residing in Australia for the duration of your unit of study OR be a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder residing in Australia for at least one unit of study contributing to your program AND you arrived in Australia as a dependent minor at least 10 years ago, and have been resident in Australia for at least 8 out of the last 10 years, and 18 out of the last 24 months
- complete and submit a ‘Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP’ form for each program you are enrolled in by the census date.
- provide your Tax File Number (TFN) or a ‘Certificate of application for a tax file number’ before the census date, otherwise your enrolment will be cancelled.
Holders of other permanent visas, and New Zealand citizens who do not meet the above residency criteria, are not eligible for HECS-HELP loans and must pay all student contributions to the University by the invoice due date.
If a degree is not Commonwealth-supported, students may be eligible for FEE-HELP assistance which works in much the same way as a HECS-HELP loan.
Further information about Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP is available on the Student Finance website, or visit StudyAssist.
Didn’t find what you were looking for? Ask a member of our team now