Am I required to complete an SA-HELP form?

No. Only students who wish to defer the Services and Amenities Fee to the Australian Taxation Office are required to complete a Request for SA-HELP Assistance form. All other students are able to pay the fee directly up-front.

How do I complete an SA-HELP form?

1. Login to My Enrolment
2. Go to ‘Commonwealth Assistance Forms’
3. Select ‘I Want To… Enter a new form for the selected course’*
4. Select ‘Request for SA-HELP Assistance’ and ‘I Want to… Complete the Selected Form’
5. Complete the form and select ‘I Want To… Submit this form’

* If you are admitted to more than one course, please ensure you complete a request for SA-HELP Assistance for all courses

Why do I have two invoices?

The Services and Amenities Fee (SAAF) is separately invoiced to your Tuition/HECS fees as they have different due dates, and you may choose to defer one and not the other. It is important that these fees are paid separately and against each individual invoice number. If the SAAF is paid against your tuition invoice, the SAAF will remain outstanding.

When is the fee due?

The due dates for Services and Amenities Fee can be found in My Enrolment, and on the relevant invoice. 2012 due dates are below:

Session 2, 2012: 2 July
Trimester 3, 2012: 10 September
EP 2 (Research): 8 December

When do I have to complete my SA-HELP form by?

An SA-HELP form can be completed up to and including the day the fee is due for that study period (see above). If an SA-HELP form has been completed after this date students will be required to pay the fee for that study period upfront, and cannot defer the fee to the Australian Taxation Office. Subsequent study periods are able to be deferred if an SA-HELP form has been completed for that course.

Do I have to complete an SA-HELP form for each course I am in?

Yes. Students are required to complete an SA-HELP form for each course of admission.

When will the Services and Amenities Fee be charged?

Southern Cross University will charge the Student Services and Amenities fee from Session 2, 2012 (including Enrolment Period 2, and Trimester C). Session 3 is currently exempt from this fee.

Why is Session 3 exempt from the fee?

In recognition that not as many units are available for study in Session 3, the University will not charge a Services and Amenities fee for this study period.

How much is the fee?

For 2012 the Services and Amenities Fee is capped at $263 per student, indexed annually. The SCU fee structure for 2012 can be found here.

Do international students pay the Services and Amenities Fee?

The international student tuition fee will cover the cost of the Services and Amenities Fee - no additional fee will be levied from onshore international students. Offshore international students will be exempt from the fee as their services are provided by our partner institutions in their home countries.

How is on-campus or off-campus determined?

Students who are studying at the following locations are considered on-campus:

• Coffs Harbour
• Gold Coast Beachside
• Lismore
• National Marine Science Centre
• Tweed Heads – SCU Riverside
• Tweed Heads – SCU Lakeside

All other locations (including Distance Education students) are considered off-campus, and will be charged the off-campus rate.

How is Part time and Full-time determined?

Fees will be charged according to the study load of each student for the study period charged. A full-time study load is considered to be three or more single-weighted units per study period, or 0.375 EFTSL (Equivalent Full-Time Study Load). Anything below 0.375 EFTSL in one study period is considered part time.

Below is a breakdown of EFTSL to unit credit point value at SCU:

• 6 credit points = .0625 EFTSL
• 12 credit points = .125 EFTSL
• 24 credit points = .250 EFTSL

Research students will be charged on the total equivalent study load across an Enrolment Period.

Is every student charged?

All students will be charged unless they are in one of the following exemption categories:

• Studying the SCU Head-Start program
• Studying the Preparing for Success program
• Incoming Cross-Institutional student
• Studying internally at an offshore location
• English language courses students
• International students (already levied in tuition costs)
• Incarcerated students

International students will have the costs of SAAF included in their tuition cost, so no additional payment is required.

What if I cannot pay the fee?

Eligible students are able to defer their Services and Amenities through the SA-HELP loan scheme, to be paid at a later date. Eligibility for SA‑HELP is restricted to Australian citizens, or Permanent Humanitarian visa holders enrolled in an award course.

If a student is ineligible for SA-HELP they are required to pay the Services and Amenities Fee upfront by the due date set by the University. All financial information including the fee charged, invoice details, and how to pay can be found in My Enrolment under Finances.
If the fee is not paid by the due date, students will be subject to the Student Sanctions rules of the University.
It should be noted that no refund or remission of the Services and Amenities fee is available following withdrawal after census date.

Where can I find more detailed information about the Services and Amenities Fee?

Below are a few helpful sites that will provide more information about the legislation and guidelines.

• Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
• Going to Uni

Updated: 07 May 2012