Prac Payment Frequently Asked Questions

Only students who have received an invitation and are enrolled in an approved Work Integrated Learning (WIL) unit are eligible to apply for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP). Eligible students will receive an invitation via their university email prior to placement. Email invitations for eligible students are sent out 28 days from your unit enrolment. Applications will remain open for six months after you complete a Placement. After six months, the applications will lapse and no longer be valid.

Yes. You have up to 6 months from the commencement of your placement to submit your CPP application. Please note that all relevant CPP eligibility conditions still apply.

Yes. To ensure ongoing eligibility for CPP, you should submit a new form for each eligible placement period you are invited to apply for.

Please allow up to 10 business days for your CPP form to be assessed. Please be advised that applications are assessed in order of placement start date, so during busy periods these time frames may be delayed. You will be notified of the outcome via your student email. To avoid processing delays, please ensure all correct supporting documentation is provided.

Delays may occur if:

• Required documents have not been provided
• Submitted evidence is incomplete or incorrect
• Additional clarification is needed

Providing complete and accurate information at the time of submission will help avoid delays.

Yes. All forms of income must be declared during the assessment process, including (but not limited to):

• Scholarships and bursaries
• Wages or wage subsidies
• Government payments and financial assistance
• Any other forms of financial support provided by the university or by Commonwealth, State or Territory Governments

This requirement applies even if payments fall outside the standard four-week evidentiary period. If you are in receipt of an annual or lump sum scholarship/bursary provided by the Commonwealth or a State/Territory Government, this must be declared accompanied by relevant supporting documentation. Where applicable, lump sum or annual payments will be converted to a weekly amount and assessed against CPP thresholds in line with the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

All declarations should be made in accordance with the relevant eligibility criteria outlined under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and associated guidelines. Failure to accurately disclose income may result in ineligibility for support or a requirement to repay funds received.

Accepted documents include: 

• Centrelink Statement of Income
• DVA Payment Summary
• DVA Statement of Pension

Students can use the ‘request document’ feature via Centrelink Online Services or the DVA portal to download acceptable full PDF documents. You can request these from Services Australia.

Please note: 

• A Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is not accepted
• Screenshots (e.g. CRN or Services Australia app screens) are not accepted
• All documents must be current at the time of the application (e.g. no backdated copies)

No, the Parenting Payment is a separate payment from Family Tax Benefit.

If you are casually employed, you must still provide evidence covering the full four-week evidentiary period either immediately prior to your application date or placement date (whichever occurs first). Fluctuations in hours or income are expected, however:

• Assessment is still based on the total income earned during the required period
• Variations outside this period generally cannot be considered

If you have had periods of not working (e.g. sickness, leave, or between shifts), you should: 

• Provide all available payslips
• Outline the reason clearly in your application

These periods may be considered where supported by appropriate evidence and in line with Government guidelines. However, will ordinarily be counted as zero hours worked for the request pay period within the four-week evidentiary period.

If your ability to work was impacted by another placement or unforeseen disruptions, you should: 

• Provide all available evidence
• Outline the details clearly in your application

Each case will be assessed in line with government guidelines. These periods may be considered where supported by appropriate evidence and in line with Government guidelines. Not all scenarios can be considered, and where possible may be sent to the Commonwealth Government for a final determination.

If your ability to work was impacted by school holidays due to being employed with schools and registered education institutions you should: 

• Provide all available payslips before and after formal breaks
• Outline the details of this break in employment

Payslips before and after the formal breaks are required (if applicable). Please use the additional information field to advise of the educational institution formal breaks that demonstrate a break in pay.

Eligible students will receive the 2026 indexed rate of $338.60 per week for approved placement periods.

Payments are processed weekly by Southern Cross University to a students nominated bank account. Funds are likely to be deposited into your nominated bank account at the end of the placement week, or early the following week, depending on your banking institutions policy for releasing funds.

Applications approved after Tuesday 5pm will be processed in the following weekly pay run. For any students approved after their placement commencement, these funds will be processed weekly and with any lump sum back payments for any missed weeks of payment.

You can update your payment details in MyEnrolment > Finances > Bank details

Please note: Do not email or provide bank details over the phone

• Do not enter bank details in your application form
• Ensure no spaces, dashes or symbols are used in the BSB or account number fields

Incorrect payment details will delay payments.

If you withdraw from your current course and transfer into another CPP-approved course, your eligibility and entitlements will reset under the new course.

Pease note you may be required to repay CPP for any placement periods not completed.

If you fail a placement and are required to repeat those placement weeks, you will not be eligible for additional Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP) for the repeated period.

However, if your repeated placement falls within the maximum number of CPP-eligible weeks for your course, you may apply for CPP for that period. Please refer to the relevant table of approved courses and maximum eligible weeks for further information.

If you need to defer your placement due to unforeseen circumstances, you may retain the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP) already paid for the current placement, provided you intend to complete the associated placement unit in a timely manner.

If you withdraw from your placement unit or course after receiving the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP), you will be required to return any CPP funds paid to you. The University will issue an invoice for the amount corresponding to the number of weeks of placement not undertaken. This invoice will be emailed to your current preferred email address.

Please email scholarships@scu.edu.au to request an invoice if you have not received an expected invoice.

If your circumstances change in a way that may affect your eligibility (for example, changes to income, employment, or financial support), you must submit a Change of Circumstances Form as soon as possible. Pease note: you may be required to repay CPP for any placement periods not completed.

If your placement is delayed, rescheduled, or changed by your placement provider, you must submit a Change of Circumstances Form as soon as possible.
If your placement is deferred or interrupted:

• Payments already received may be retained for completed or approved placement periods
• Future payments will be adjusted to align with your updated placement dates
• In some cases, payments may be offset against future placement weeks

If you withdraw from placement or do not complete the required placement period, you may be required to repay CPP for weeks not undertaken. Your CPP approval can be maintained where you intend to complete your placement within a reasonable timeframe. If you are unsure, it is recommended you submit a Change of Circumstances form to ensure your payments are managed correctly.

Exceptional circumstances are situations that are outside of your control, or temporary and unusual, that prevent you from meeting one or more CPP eligibility requirements.

These must have a direct and significant impact on your ability to meet:

• Placement hours (30 hours per week)
• The Need to Work test
• The Income test
• Income support requirements

Your application must clearly identify which requirement has been impacted.

Exceptional Circumstances fall into three categories:

• Disability: where your condition affects your ability to meet eligibility requirements
• Health or medical impacts: including illness or medical conditions
• Acute personal or family circumstances: such as serious events impacting you or someone close to you

Please be advised Financial hardship is not considered an exceptional circumstance.

Yes. Temporary or short term-situations may be considered where they are:

• Unexpected or unusual
• Occur during the relevant evidentiary period or placement
• Directly affect your ability to meet eligibility requirements

These are assessed as episodic exceptional circumstances and apply only to the affected period.

Yes. Ongoing circumstances (such as disability or long-term medical conditions) may be considered where they continue to impact your ability to meet eligibility requirements.

Where supported by appropriate documentation, these may be approved for a defined period (up to 12 months).

To support your assessment, you must provide credible and relevant documentation that shows both:

• The nature of your circumstances
• How they impacted your ability to meet eligibility requirements

Acceptable documentation may include (but is not limited to):

• Medical certificates or letters from registered health practitioners
• Individual Education Plans or reasonable adjustment plans
• Statutory declarations or supporting statements
• Evidence of caring responsibilities, legal matters, or emergency events

Additional information and documentation may be requested.

Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with government requirements.

Assessment considers whether:

• The circumstances were outside your control or unusual
• There is a clear and direct impact on your eligibility
• Sufficient supporting evidence has been provided
• You would have otherwise met eligibility requirements

Applications must meet strict government criteria and are subject to:

• University assessment
• Final consideration by the Department of Education

If your application is unsuccessful and you are unsatisfied with your determination, you may submit an appeal using the process outlined in your outcome email.

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your final CPP (Commonwealth Prac Payment) decision, you may lodge a complaint, provided you have first completed the internal review process via the application form. Once the internal appeal process is complete, you can escalate your concern through the Feedback and Complaints Framework. This allows you to formally request a review of the decision in line with the University’s complaints policy.

You may reapply before your placement start date if your circumstances change whereby you can meet eligibility criteria or when additional evidence becomes available.

Yes. Recipients are required to declare any CPP payments they receive to Services Australia to ensure accurate assessment of entitlements and compliance with reporting obligations.

Recipients of CPP payments are responsible for managing any potential impacts that these payments may have on their eligibility for Commonwealth Income Support Payments (ISPs) or any other form of financial assistance received from government or other agencies. It is the responsibility of the recipient to seek independent advice regarding such implications, if necessary.

To support students in meeting their reporting obligations, the University will issue a formal notification at the end of each financial year. This notification will confirm the total amount of CPP paid to the recipient over the financial year and will include the following information:

• Full name of the student
• Date of birth
• Residential address
• Total amount of CPP paid

This information may be used by recipients when reporting income to Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office, or other relevant authorities. This information may be used by recipients when reporting income to Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office, or other relevant authorities.