Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
Students in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) receive support from the Australian Government. This is in the form of subsidised course fees, called the Student Contribution Amount (SCA).
You may be eligible for a CSP if you:
- are an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident living in Australia throughout your course, a permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand citizen living in Australia throughout your course
- have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) before your first census date (for new enrolments from 1 January 2021), and
- have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement available (for new enrolments from 1 January 2022).
You’ll need to make sure your personal details are the same in our records and in the USI Registry System – otherwise you’ll encounter problems when you enrol.
To check your eligibility for a CSP and government loans, see Commonwealth assistance residency requirements. Living outside Australia during your study may affect your eligibility.
If you’re eligible for a CSP, this does not mean you’re automatically offered one, as some courses have limited places and others have none at all. Also, most CSPs are for undergraduate study.
CSP students need to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
Extra requirements to receive a CSP
From 2022 to 2023, the unit pass rate requirement applied. Starting 1 January 2024, it is no longer in effect. For past and current rules, see our page on unit pass rate requirement.
From 1 January 2021, you won't be eligible for Commonwealth assistance for your units, if your study load for the previous 12 months was more than:
- 2.0 Equivalent Full-Time Student Load (EFTSL), or
- 96 credit points.
This includes units studied at other institutions. However, on a case-by-case basis, we may assess a student as academically suitable and allow them to take more than 2.0 EFTSL or 96 credit points.
HELP loans
Many CSP students are eligible for government loans. For information, see:
Student Learning Entitlement
The Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) allows students to undertake seven years (7 EFTSL) of full-time subsidised study in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). Any course taken by a student in a CSP that has a census date after 1 January 2022 will reduce your SLE balance by the EFTSL value of that course.
To check your balance, log into myHELPbalance (you’ll need your USI or CHESSN, student ID number and personal details to sign in).
Once you’ve used all your available SLE, you’ll be transferred to a full-fee paying place for the remainder of your studies. It’s possible to accrue additional SLE and lifelong SLE. For all the details, check the Australian Government's StudyAssist website.
How to apply for a CSP
VTAC applicants
If applying through VTAC, choose course codes ending in 1 (this indicates a CSP).
Direct applicants
Check course finder for your course entry. Under the Applications and Fees section, is where you’ll find fees information, including whether the course offers CSPs.
Current students
Where courses have Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) on offer (see course finder), faculties will regularly check for student conversion from full fee to CSP. If CSPs are available, students in full fee places may be offered a CSP, based on merit (high academic performance). If you become eligible for a CSP, your faculty will contact you directly and make you an offer.
Accepting your CSP offer
When you first enrol at Monash, you'll need to provide us with your Unique Student Identifier (USI) before accepting your CSP. To accept your CSP, complete the Request for a Commonwealth supported place and, if eligible, a HECS-HELP loan form. Make sure you read the online form carefully, as it explains your payment options and obligations.
If you change courses, you must apply for a CSP for the new course and complete another Request for a Commonwealth supported place and a HECS-HELP loan form.
Student Contribution Amount (SCA)
We send you a fee statement based on your unit enrolment. See fee payment dates. If you are paying your SCA directly to the University, you must pay it by the due date – otherwise your account may be encumbered. To avoid paying fees for units you don't want to take, you must withdraw from them by 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date.
Enrolment cancelled for overdue upfront payments
You'll be asked to provide your Tax File Number (TFN) when you enrol in your course.
If you don't provide your Tax File Number (TFN), you can't get HECS-HELP and you must pay your SCA up front. If you don't pay your fees by 11.59pm on the census date (Melbourne time), your enrolment will be cancelled and you can't apply for reinstatement until the following semester.
If you provide your TFN and choose to pay up front, you’ll need to pay your fees by 11.59pm on the census date (Melbourne time). Otherwise:
- your enrolment will be cancelled, if you’re not eligible for HECS-HELP
- your Student Contribution Amount (SCA) will be automatically deferred to a loan, if you are eligible for HECS-HELP.
If you change your mind about studying some units or your entire course, you need to withdraw from the units or discontinue your course by the census date to avoid financial penalties.
If you don't have a TFN
We recommend you apply for a TFN before 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on your first census date. If you have an Australian passport, it’s best to apply with myGovID – that way you should receive your TFN straight away. If you don’t have a passport, there are other ways you can apply, just take a look at the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for instructions. It could take up to 28 days to receive your TFN if you used an application method other than myGovID.
In the meantime, provide Monash Connect with proof you’ve applied. If you applied online and visited Australia Post, you can submit your Australia Post receipt along with your Application Summary. Alternatively, you can request a Certificate of Application for a TFN from the ATO. Submit your proof of application through MoVA.
Once you receive your TFN, go to the CSP HECS_HELP section in WES and complete these fields:
- section 8A – enter your TFN here
- section 11 – change your payment option to deferred.