Financial assistance

Going to Uni

The Australian Government's 'Going to Uni' website provides information about fees, loans and scholarships associated with study at university. It also contains information about higher education reforms that affect students.

HECS-HELP

Since 1 January 2005, Commonwealth-supported places have replaced HECS places. Eligible students have access to HECS-HELP assistance. This allows students to request a HECS-HELP loan and defer payments through the Australian Taxation Office, or to receive a HECS-HELP discount for upfront payments over $500. Information for Commonwealth Supported Students is available at:

FEE-HELP

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme for eligible full-fee-paying domestic students. Under this scheme students can borrow up to the amount of the tuition fees being charged for units of study. Over a lifetime the FEE-HELP maximum limit is currently $83,313. Students who access FEE-HELP for a full-fee undergraduate place also incur a 20 per cent loan fee. FEE-HELP Information is available at:

Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN)

All Commonwealth-supported students and FEE-HELP students are issued with a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN). The CHESSN is a unique identifier that tracks an individual's student learning entitlement and use of Commonwealth assistance (including HECS-HELP). As a condition of enrolment, students provide informed consent for the University to share their personal information with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations so that the University can comply with legislative requirements. The information provided by students is used to generate the CHESSN. The CHESSN stays with students for their academic life and provides them with a way to track their student learning entitlement and HELP loans. Students can access their CHESSN information at:

OS-HELP

OS-HELP is a loan scheme that helps eligible Commonwealth-supported students undertake some of their study overseas. The scheme provides up to $5410 (in 2009) per six-month study period for up to two study periods to help students with a range of expenses such as airfares and accommodation. Further information is available at:

Austudy/Youth Allowance

There are two major Commonwealth Government benefits for tertiary students: Austudy and Youth Allowance. Both are income and assets tested. Austudy is for students aged 25 and over when commencing a course, while Youth Allowance is for students up to 25 years old. Youth Allowance recipients may be eligible for a rent allowance. Details of these and other Centrelink benefits are available at:

Commonwealth legislation sets strict requirements for Austudy and Youth Allowance over which the University has no control. It is important that students understand these requirements.

Students who receive Austudy or Youth Allowance and decide to drop subjects during the semester must be aware that to remain eligible they must be enrolled in a minimum of 18 credit points, or have a HECS liability for the semester of 0.375 equivalent full-time student units. Exceptions may be made for some students with disabilities which impact on their studies, students who are single supporting parents or, in exceptional cases, those who have been directed by the University to reduce their study load.

Application forms and information about eligibility for both Austudy and Youth Allowance are available from the Student Services Unit at City and Kuring-gai campuses.

Application forms for both Austudy and Youth Allowance should be lodged as soon as possible with any Centrelink office.

For more information, talk to a Financial Assistance Officer in the Student Services Unit. Call for an appointment on:

Abstudy

Abstudy assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students by providing income support and other assistance. For more information about Abstudy, contact the staff at Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning:

Scholarships and prizes

All scholarships and prizes are searchable at:

A complete listing of all prizes and awards, separated by faculty, is available at:

UTS policy on the award of prizes

Scholarships and prizes are awarded each year to students in the University for meritorious work. These are made available through the generosity of private individuals and public organisations. They are offered each semester, annually or biennially. In rare instances, a scholarship or prize will be offered only when funds permit. Most scholarships and prizes are offered subject to the provision that they will be awarded only when a student has attained a mark or level of achievement considered by the faculty board concerned to be sufficiently high. In addition to these official University scholarships and prizes it should be noted that a number of scholarships and prizes are available from external sources.

The University's policy and procedures for the administration of prizes are published at:

The University's guidelines for the acceptance of new prizes are published at:

Commonwealth Scholarships

Commonwealth Scholarships assist Commonwealth-supported students from low socioeconomic backgrounds who are Australian citizens or holders of permanent humanitarian visas with costs associated with higher education. There are three types of scholarships: Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarships (CECS) ($2207 a year for up to four years), Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarships (CAS) for students from rural and regional areas ($4415 a year for up to four years), and Indigenous Access Scholarships (IAS), a once-only scholarship payment to assist Indigenous students to undertake an undergraduate course ($4166). Students who are eligible for the IAS automatically receive the CECS, and may also be eligible for the CAS. Further information is available at:

Postgraduate research scholarships

All permanent residents/citizens of Australia applying for a higher research degree can also apply for a scholarship. Broadly, there are two types of scholarship:

Scholarships with stipend

A scholarship with stipend provides periodical payments to students while they are studying and an exemption from any tuition fees.

Scholarships offered in this category include:

• Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)
• Australian Postgraduate Award – Industry (APA(I))
• UTS Doctoral Scholarships
• R L Werner Research Scholarships
• Sir Gerard Brennan Scholarships.

Scholarships without stipend

A scholarship without stipend provides no payments to students but offers an exemption from any tuition fees. These scholarships, provided by the Commonwealth Government, are called Research Training Scheme (RTS) places and include:

• UTS Research Training Scheme
• UTS fee exemption scholarships.

As there is no stipend, students do not receive any payment to help with their study.

Detailed information on scholarships is available at:

Scholarships for international students

Applicants who are neither citizens nor permanent residents of Australia may apply for the:

• Endeavour Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Awards
• Endeavour Research Fellowships
• Endeavour Europe Awards
• Endeavour Malaysia Awards
• Endeavour Awards for Turkey
• Endeavour Australia Cheung Kong Research Fellowships
• UTS President's Scholarships (UTSP)

For further information contact UTS International on: