Good news for nursing, midwifery, teaching, and social work students across Australia, financial relief is on the way.
From 1 July 2025, eligible students undertaking mandatory placements will receive a cash boost, with a weekly payment of $331.65 under the newly announced Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP).
The payment is estimated to provide support to around 68,000 eligible higher education students and over 5000 eligible VET students each year.
The support package, revealed in the 2024–25 Federal Budget, aims to ease the financial burden faced by students who are often forced to give up paid work while completing placement hours.
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Backed by a massive $427.4 million investment over four years, the CPP is set to benefit thousands of domestic students studying in fields that are crucial to Australia’s future workforce, particularly in areas facing critical skill shortages.
Which students are eligible?
The weekly payment is available to domestic students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place who are studying:
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A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in nursing, midwifery, teaching, or social work, or
-
A Diploma of Nursing
To qualify, students must be undertaking a mandatory placement that is either:
-
30+ hours per week on average, or
-
A continuity of care placement in midwifery, which often requires students to be on-call and unable to hold a job during the placement period.
Is there a catch?
There’s a means test to determine eligibility, but it’s designed to reflect the real financial pressure placements can cause.
Students will need to either:
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Be already receiving a Commonwealth income support payment (like Austudy, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, or a DVA Education Allowance),
OR
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Prove they have a need to work, demonstrated by having worked 15+ hours per week in the four weeks before applying (or the four weeks before placement starts), AND
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Be earning no more than $1500 per week pre-tax during that same period.
There’s also provision for students to apply under exceptional circumstances, with further details expected closer to the rollout.
Want to know more?
Keep an eye on the Department of Education’s website and your uni’s student services for further updates on how to apply for the Commonwealth Prac Payment before it launches in July 2025.
For more information, go here.
