Completing an eCAF

You must submit at least one form to obtain Commonwealth assistance.

The form/s you use depend on:

• whether you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or a Domestic fee paying (DFEE) place
• whether you would also like to have your Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) deferred, if eligible.

CSP

The HECS-HELP form is compulsory for everyone who has been offered a CSP. You must complete this form in order to enrol in any units. You can also apply for SA-HELP if you would like to defer your SSAF.

To be eligible to complete a 'Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP' form you must be offered a CSP course, and be:

• an Australian citizen
• a permanent resident (humanitarian visa holder only)
• New Zealand special category visa holder.

To be eligible to defer your fees to HECS-HELP or SA-HELP you must be:

• an Australian citizen; or
• a permanent resident (humanitarian visa holder only); or
• an eligible New Zealand special category visa holder who meets long-term residency in Australia requirements; and
• complete the relevant HELP form with your Tax File Number (TFN) provided by the relevant census date.

DFEE

FEE-HELP is for domestic students in domestic fee paying courses only. New Zealand citizens (who do not meet the long-term Australian residency requirements) and Australian permanent residents who hold non-humanitarian visas are NOT eligible to apply.

You should apply for FEE-HELP and/or SA-HELP if you are:

• an Australian citizen
• a permanent resident (humanitarian visa holder only)
• an eligible New Zealand special category visa holder (who meets the long-term residency in Australia requirements.

1. Log in to eStudent
2. Click on the 'Forms' tile OR go to 'My Study' > 'Manage My Course' > 'Government Assistance' > 'Add'
3. Select the relevant Government Assistance Form to complete
4. Follow the instructions to complete the relevant form and submit
5. A form status message with a 'tick' will show if the form has been submitted
   1. This does not mean your form has been approved. To check on its status, please go to 'My Study' > 'Manage My Course' > 'Government Assistance'
   2. If the form status says 'Approved' under My Study, you have submitted the form correctly
   3. If the status says 'Invalid' or 'Submitted' > there is likely an error in the form, please submit it again

The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is an amount to be paid by part-time and full-time students. It provides funding for student support services such as campus wellbeing, sport and recreation facilities, and food and beverage operations.

HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP forms allow you to defer tuition fees only. A separate SA-HELP form allows you to defer your SSAF.

More information about SSAF.

If you are a New Zealand citizen and a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, you may be eligible to defer your fees.

Find out more information about meeting eligibility requirements and how to defer.

Census date explained

The census date in each session is the last date that you can withdraw from a unit without incurring any academic penalty or financial liability for the unit.

You can view the census dates for each session on our calendar of dates.

1. For CSP courses (if you are eligible to defer fees) submit a HECS-HELP form:
   • In Section D Tax File Number, click the check box for ‘I do not want a HECS-HELP loan. I am applying for a CSP only and will pay my student contribution upfront and in full’.
   • In Section E Declaration, DO NOT click the two check boxes for ‘Requesting a HECS-HELP loan’.
   • Don’t worry – as long as you provide your TFN before the census date, you won’t need to pay your unit fees upfront.
2. Apply for a tax file number (TFN) – note that it may take up to 28 days for the ATO to process. Once you receive your TFN, you will need to:
   • complete the HECS-HELP forms again with your TFN provided, by the relevant census date. For DFEE courses and SSAF, you can only complete the FEE-HELP or SA-HELP form with your TFN provided (if eligible to defer fees).
3. If the census date is approaching (in 1-2 weeks) and you still haven’t received your TFN, you need to at least show the University you’ve fully lodged your TFN application to avoid the risk of enrolment cancellation for non-payment of fees. You can do this by:
   • Checking the census date on eStudent > My Finances or the Calendar of Dates webpage
   • If the census date is more than 2 weeks away > there’s no need to provide anything further to the University currently. Please just make sure your TFN Application is fully lodged (which generally means you need to have attended an appointment with Australia Post who will provide you with a receipt once lodged.
   • If the census date is less than 2 weeks away > Chat to Service Connect and provide a copy of your TFN Application AND receipt from Australia Post (note: your application is not fully lodged without the Australia Post receipt).
   • You will then be required to submit a new HELP form asap once you receive your TFN (if eligible to defer your unit fees)
   • DO NOT provide your actual TFN through Service Connect - it can only be provided through the HELP form
4. If your TFN cannot be verified, your fees can not be deferred to ATO. Therefore, you must pay your outstanding fees upfront by the Census Date.
   
   If you are in a Commonwealth Supported (CSP) course, you will need to submit a new Government Assistance Form via eStudent and select upfront payment option. You will need to pay your outstanding fees upfront if you don’t verify your TFN by the Census Date.
   
   Otherwise, you will be withdrawn from all current and future units and your enrolment will be cancelled.

You must notify the University as soon as your residency or citizenship details change. This includes if you:

• were a New Zealand citizen and become a permanent resident visa holder
• held a humanitarian permanent residency visa and change to a non-humanitarian permanent residency visa.

Chat to Service Connect to discuss your change of residency status.