Commonwealth assistance residency requirements

The Australian government provides domestic students with a range of Commonwealth assistance. The assistance available to you depends on:

  • the type of place you have been offered (CSP/domestic full fee)
  • your citizenship/immigration status
  • where you live while studying a unit or your whole course
  • the type of course you are doing
  • whether or not you will undertake the course primarily at a campus outside Australia

In the table below, these citizenships statuses and abbreviations are used:

  • Australian citizen
  • BOTP: Bridging course for overseas-trained professionals
  • PHV: Holder of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa
  • PR: Holder of an Australian permanent visa (that is not a permanent humanitarian visa)
  • NZ citizen: New Zealand citizen (not an Australian citizen or holder of a permanent visa)

The tables below set out the citizenship and residency requirements for domestic students. Please note, cross-institutional study units are not eligible for SA-HELP.

Commonwealth supported place (CSP) students

Course location Where you live while studying Citizenship status Eligibility for CSP Eligibility for HECS-HELP and SA-HELP
Australia Australia Australian citizen Yes Yes
PHV Yes Yes
NZ citizen Yes No
PR Yes No
Outside Australia for the unit, but not the entire course Australian citizen Yes Yes
PHV No No
NZ citizen No No
PR No No
Outside Australia for the entire course Australian citizen Yes, if commenced course before 1 Jan 2013

No, if commenced course on or after 1 Jan 2013		 Yes, if commenced course before 1 Jan 2013

No, if commenced course on or after 1 Jan 2013
PHV No No
NZ citizen No No
PR No No
Outside Australia Primarily at a campus outside Australia Australian citizen Yes, if commenced course before 1 Jan 2012

No, if commenced course on or after 1 Jan 2012		 HECS-HELP:
Yes, if commenced course before 1 Jan 2012

No, if commenced course on or after 1 Jan 2012

SSAF is not charged at offshore course locations in 2012 and 2013.
PHV No No
NZ citizen No No
PR No No

Domestic full-fee students

FEE-HELP and SA-HELP are available for certain types of courses: award course, enabling course, or bridging studies for overseas-trained professionals (BOTP).

Course location Where you live while studying Citizenship status Eligible for FEE-HELP and SA-HELP
In Australia In Australia for the unit Australian citizen Yes
PHV Yes
NZ citizen No
PR in BOTP Yes
Other PR No
Outside Australia for the unit, but not the entire course Australian citizen Yes
PHV No
NZ citizen No
PR in BOTP No
Other PR No
Outside Australia for the entire course Australian citizen Yes, if commenced course
before 1 Jan 2013

No, if commenced course on or
after 1 Jan 2013
PHV No
NZ citizen No
PR in BOTP No
Other PR No
Outside Australia Primarily at a campus outside Australia Australian citizen FEE-HELP:
Yes, if commenced course
before 1 Jan 2012

No, if commenced course on or
after 1 Jan 2012

SSAF is not charged at offshore course locations in 2012 and 2013
PHV No
NZ citizen No
PR in BOTP No
Other PR No

SA-HELP for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students

Course location Where you live while studying Citizenship status Eligibility for SA-HELP
Australia In Australia Australian citizen Yes
PHV Yes
NZ citizen No
PR No
Outside Australia at the time, but not for the entire course Australian citizen Yes
PHV No
NZ citizen No
PR No
Outside Australia for the entire course Australian citizen Yes, if commenced course
before 1 Jan 2013

No, if commenced course on or
after 1 Jan 2013
PHV No
NZ citizen No
PR No
Outside Australia Primarily at a campus outside Australia All SSAF is not charged at offshore course locations in 2012 and 2013
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