Commonwealth Prac Payment

Eligibility

To be eligible you’ll need to be:

  • an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen, studying full time or part time
  • enrolled in a unit of study in an eligible Bachelor or Masters course that leads to entry-to-practice in teaching, social work, or nursing
  • required by your course to participate in mandatory placements for an average of 30 hours or more per week
  • enrolled, or expected to be enrolled, in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) for the unit.

AND EITHER

OR

  • you show a need to work during normal studies by demonstrating you worked on average more than 15 hours a week either in the four weeks before applying for CPP or the four weeks before starting your placement, whichever is earlier (called the 'Need to Work Test'), and
  • you earnt $1,500 or less per week before tax, on average in the same four-week period, including scholarships or similar financial cost of living assistance from the Commonwealth, States and Territories (called the 'Income Test').

Placements commencing before 1 July 2025

If your placement commenced before 1 July you can be considered for CPP from 1 July provided your placement will be ongoing. To receive a payment for the first week of July, you'll need to be completing 30 placement hours between Tuesday, 1 July and the end of that week.

Eligible income support payments

Centrelink ISP

  • Age Pension
  • Austudy
  • Carer Payment
  • Disability Support Pension
  • JobSeeker Payment
  • Parenting Payment
  • Special Benefit
  • Farm Household Allowance
  • Youth Allowance

Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) payments

  • Age Pension
  • Income Support Supplement
  • Service Pension
  • Veteran Payment
  • Education Allowance

ABSTUDY

  • ABSTUDY Living Allowance

Eligible courses and maximum payment amounts

The maximum number of weeks you can receive CPP depends on your course and is based on the minimum period of placement required by your accrediting body.

The University chooses to embed additional placement requirements above the accreditation requirement for some courses, for improved learning outcomes. You won't be entitled to receive CPP for these additional weeks once the maximum for your course is reached. This is the case even if you fail your placement and need to retake it. However, if you complete some or all of your placement and transfer courses to another eligible degree, your entitlement resets.

Check your handbook to find which units of study you'll need to complete as part of your course.

Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Studies)
20
Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Master of Nursing
  • Bachelor of Arts and Master of Nursing
  • Bachelor of Science and Master of Nursing (Pre-registration)
  • Bachelor of Science (Health) and Master of Nursing (Pre-registration)
20
Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood)
  • Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education)
  • Bachelor of Education (Primary)
  • Bachelor of Education (Secondary)
  • Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Secondary)
  • Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts (commenced Year 1 in 2021 or earlier)
  • Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science (commenced Year 1 in 2021 or earlier)
  • Bachelor of Music (Music Education)
16
Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Master of Teaching (Early Childhood)
  • Master of Teaching (Primary)
  • Master of Teaching (Secondary)
12
Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work
  • Bachelor of Social Work
26
Eligible courses Maximum CPP weeks
  • Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
26
Last updated: 09 September 2025

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