Prac Payment Frequently Asked Questions

You can contact Client Services on 1800 SC HELP / 1800 72 4357.

Please allow up to 10 business days for your CPP form to be assessed. You will be notified of the outcome via your student email once an outcome is available.

Only students who have received an invitation and are enrolled in approved units are eligible to apply for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP). Students enrolled in units with eligible Work Integrated Learning (WIL) components will receive invitations via their University email address prior to the commencement of their placement.

Yes, to ensure ongoing eligibility for CPP, recipients should complete a form each period they are invited to.

If your placement is delayed or rescheduled from the originally allocated dates, you are not required to submit a Change of Circumstances Form unless there is a change to your financial situation that may affect your eligibility for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP).

To be eligible for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP), students must be undertaking their placement on a full-time basis, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week.

If there are any changes to your circumstances during your placement period that may impact your eligibility for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP), you are required to complete and submit a Change of Circumstances Form as soon as practicable.

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 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 withdraw from your current course and subsequently enrol in another course that is approved for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP)—for example, transferring from the Bachelor of Midwifery to the Bachelor of Nursing—your CPP entitlements will reset under the new course.

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

At present, there is no requirement for the University to report CPP payments to Commonwealth government departments. However, this may be subject to change in the future, in line with evolving legislative or policy requirements.

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.

When assessing eligibility under the income test, all sources of income must be taken into account. This includes, but is not limited to:

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

This requirement applies regardless of whether the payments are received within or outside the standard four-week evidentiary period. All income must be declared during the application process.

If you are in receipt of an annual or lump sum scholarship/bursary provided by the Commonwealth or a State/Territory Government for the purpose of supporting your studies, the total value of this payment will be converted into a weekly amount. This weekly figure will then be applied to the income threshold for the purpose of assessing your eligibility.

In cases where you are receiving placement-specific financial support from a government source, this income must also be converted to a weekly equivalent and included in the income test assessment.

Where multiple payments are received over the course of a year, each payment should be declared, converted to an annual rate, and assessed accordingly.

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.

Payments are made by Southern Cross University once a week. Payments for any particular week are likely to be deposited in 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.

You can amend your payment details in the Student Portal in the Financial Details tab. See the Scholarships Payment Method information on how to ensure this is up-to-date.

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.