Please select from the following options:


Austudy, Abstudy, Youth Allowance
Each study period, the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) cross-check your enrolment against their files to ascertain your eligibility to receive Austudy, Abstudy or Youth Allowance entitlements.

Where discrepancies occur, Centrelink will contact students requiring repayment of benefits. To avoid such distress, you must ensure that your enrolment is recorded correctly.

You must enrol in 75% of your course full-time load for the year, i.e. a study load of 0.375 EFTSL or greater in a standard study period. Your study load for the study period is shown on your online Enrolment Confirmation and Fees/Tax Invoice and/or your Commonwealth Assistance Notice.

Further information on Austudy, Abstudy and the Youth Allowance is available from Centrelink. www.centrelink.gov.au


Other financial assistance
Student Services provide resources and current information on Austudy, tertiary allowances, social security benefits, and scholarships and other financial support for students funded by the University Foundation and benefactors.

For further information: www.acu.edu.au/student_life/student_services/index.cfm

COMMONWEALTH-SUPPORTED STUDENTS

Payment of student contribution
There are three options for paying your student contribution:
1. pay all of your student contribution up-front and receive a 20% discount; or
2. pay at least $500 of your student contribution up-front and defer the remainder through a HECS-HELP loan. You will receive a 20% discount on the amount you pay; or
3. defer all of your student contribution through a HECS-HELP loan.

HECS-HELP
What is HECS-HELP?

HECS-HELP for Commonwealth-supported students
HECS-HELP loans are available to assist eligible students to pay their student contribution.
To apply for a HECS-HELP loan you should:
• complete a Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form and tick the appropriate box;
• include your Tax File Number (TFN) on this form;
• return the form by the due date (which is normally 10 days before the census date for the study period) to:
Student Fees Section
Australian Catholic University
Locked Bag 4115
FITZROY MDC VIC 3065

If you choose to pay upfront, the inclusion of your Tax File Number will act as a safety net in case you have trouble paying your student contribution by the study period census date. In this case, any unpaid student contribution amount will be transferred to the Australian Taxation Office and your status changed to HECS-HELP deferred. This arrangement does not apply to payment of Student Services Fees.

If you do not have a Tax File Number or cannot remember it, contact your local Australian Taxation Office. Attach a note to the Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form advising ACU National that you have applied for a Tax File Number. Request the Australian Taxation Office to provide you with a “Tax file number application or enquiry” form. Your Tax File number will be issued within 28 days of application and must be available prior to the study period census date for you to defer your student contributions via HECS-HELP.

*Please Note: If you choose the Deferred Payment Option, your enrolment is not complete until you submit your Tax File Number and will be cancelled if you do not submit it, or provide an invalid Tax File Number.
Your Commonwealth Assistance Notice will give details of the amount of HECS-HELP assistance received during a study period.

Changing your HECS-HELP payment option
You may change you HECS-HELP payment option on or before the census date in any study period.
The Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form only notes your intended payment option. Your actual payment option is determined at the census date by any up-front payments you have made to the University.


DOMESTIC FEE-PAYING STUDENTS

Payment of tuition fees
There are three options for paying your tuition fees:
1. pay all of your student tuition fees up-front; or
2. obtain a FEE-HELP loan for the full amount of your tuition fees for the study period; or
3. make a partial payment of your tuition fees for the study period and obtain a FEE-HELP loan for the balance.

FEE-HELP
What is FEE-HELP?

FEE-HELP for eligible domestic full-fee paying students

Domestic students may apply for FEE-HELP if they enrol in undergraduate or postgraduate paying courses on a fee-paying basis.

To apply for FEE-HELP you should:
• complete the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form and tick the appropriate box;
• include your Tax File Number (TFN) on this form; and
• return the form by the due date (which is normally 10 days before the Census date for the study period) to:
Student Fees Section
Australian Catholic University
Locked Bag 4115
FITZROY MDC VIC 3065

If you do not have a Tax File Number or cannot remember it, you should contact your local Australian Taxation Office. Attach a note to the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form advising ACU National that you have applied for a Tax File Number. Request the Australian Taxation Office to provide you with “Tax file number application or enquiry” form. Your Tax File number will be issued within 28 days of application and must be available prior to the study period census date for you to defer your tuition fees via FEE-HELP.

Please Note: If you choose FEE-HELP, your enrolment is not complete until you submit your Tax File Number and will be cancelled if you do not submit it, or provide an invalid Tax File Number.
Your Commonwealth Assistance Notice will give details of the amount of FEE-HELP debt deferred to your Tax File Number.


OS-HELP

Assistance for overseas study

OS-HELP provides financial assistance to eligible students who undertake part of their course of study overseas under ACU National approved overseas study programs. OS-HELP assistance may be used to cover expenses associated with overseas study, such as airfares, accommodation and other travelling or settling expenses.
For information and eligibility, students should refer to Financial Assistance at: http://www.acu.edu.au/course_areas/Overseas_Study_Exchange_Program/Outgoing_Exchange_Students.cfm

Commonwealth Learning Scholarships (CLS)

For information and eligibility, students should refer to: www.acu.edu.au/scholarships