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Financial support
- Overview
- General bursaries
- Interest-free loans
- Advertised bursaries
- Financial support vouchers
Interest-free loans
Support over the break
The last day to apply for an Interest-free loan before the University’s break period is Wednesday 6 December 2023. You will be able to apply again from 8 January 2024.
You can apply for a Financial Support Voucher until Monday 18 December 2023.
If you have any questions, or need assistance submitting an application, you can submit a Financial Support enquiry.
We understand that you may be experiencing financial difficulties over the holiday season, and recommend that you view the government Money Smart webpage if you need urgent help with money during this time.
If you are a current student, you may be able to receive an interest-free loan to help you pay for your living and study expenses.
Student loans of up to $2000 are available throughout the year and will need to be repaid within 12 months or before you graduate. The terms of repayment will be agreed upon when your loan is approved and you will sign a legal document agreeing to these conditions.
If you aren’t able to begin repayments until the end of your studies, there are some loan options for students enrolled in an eligible course where your repayments commence after you graduate.
General eligibility
You are eligible to apply for a loan if you are:
- an undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled at the University of Sydney
- a domestic or international student
- in need of assistance with essential living and study expenses
- you can demonstrate capacity to repay the loan within the terms of the repayment conditions. Non-payment of loans can result in penalties including academic sanctions. This could include a sanction on your Sydney Student record that would suppress your results until the loan is repaid.
Supporting documents
To be considered for financial support, you need to provide the following supporting documents:
- a Personal Statement, which needs to be submitted as a single Microsoft Word document, advising you would like to be considered for an interest-free loan. You must be able to demonstrate that you have the capacity to repay the loan according to the repayment terms.
- bank account statement with transaction history of your everyday account, for the past 30 days
- documents that show upcoming financial responsibilities (for example bills, invoices, quotes and calculations)
- proof of Centrelink (if relevant).
All bank account statements need to be in PDF format and contain:
- the official header of your financial institution (e.g bank name, logo)
- your full name
- the account number.
Screenshots, photos or CSV files of bank statements will not be accepted.
You don’t need to provide your academic transcript.
You will need to upload your supporting documents with your application. You cannot update your application after you submit it.
Arthur and Renee George Foundation loans
These loans are available for up to $2000 each year to eligible undergraduate students enrolled in a limited range of faculties. These loans can be repaid in the first or possibly second year after you have graduated. The loan can’t be used for the cost of overseas placements.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for a loan if you are:
- an undergraduate student
- a citizen or permanent resident of Australia
- in need of assistance with essential living and study expenses
- enrolled in the final two years of your degree
- enrolled in the Sydney School of Health Sciences, Sydney Dental School, Sydney Medical School, Sydney Pharmacy School or Sydney School of Veterinary Science
- unable to repay a loan before graduation.
How to apply
Complete the online application and upload your supporting documents in Sydney Student. Go to ‘My finance’, ‘Scholarships, prizes, bursaries and loans’, then ‘Apply for financial support’.
There is not a separate application for an interest-free loan. You must apply for a bursary and include a Personal Statement that should be submitted as a single Microsoft Word document and uploaded with your supporting documents. You will need to demonstrate your capacity to repay the loan to be eligible.
What happens next
If you are deemed eligible for an interest-free loan, you will be contacted by Financial Support staff to schedule a telephone appointment. During your appointment, you will agree on a Repayment Schedule. This will set out the dates for your repayments.
Once your loan has been approved and you have signed your Loan Agreement and Repayment Schedule, the terms of your loan and repayment are legally binding.
Your loan will be paid into your nominated bank account within four to 10 working days. Make sure your bank details are correct in Sydney Student (go to ‘My finance’, ‘Your finances’, then ‘Bank details’).
If you're in need of immediate assistance, let us know when you make your appointment.
Making repayments
You can make a payment using BPAY.
Biller code: 270223 (Student Loans)
Customer reference number: Appears on your monthly Student Loan Statement. This number is unique to you.
Go to the ePay website and follow the prompts. Make sure you have your MasterCard or Visa details and your monthly Student Loan Statement available.
If you can’t make a repayment
If you can’t make a repayment, you will need to arrange an extension before the due date of your repayment.
If you do not make your repayment by the due date, and have not contacted Financial Support to arrange an extension, a suppression will be placed on your Sydney Student account, restricting access to your academic results. This will happen 30 days after your due date if payment has not been received. Any suppression applied will only be lifted once you have paid all outstanding repayments. You will not be able to graduate until your loan is repaid.
How to apply for an extension
To apply for an extension, you must be currently enrolled and submit your application before your payment due date.
You can apply for an extension through Sydney Student. Go to ‘My finance’, 'Scholarships, prizes, bursaries and loans’, then ‘Apply for loan extension’.
Financial Support staff will contact you within four to seven days with the outcome of your application.
If you are not currently enrolled or your payment is already overdue
Contact us through the financial support enquiry form for further advice. Please do this as soon as possible to avoid having further sanctions applied.
If payment of your student loan becomes substantially overdue, further sanctions will be applied according to the University Student Debtors Sanctions Policy (pdf, 116KB).
Last updated: 20 November 2023
