I need other financial support
There are many services you can access during your studies including Centrelink, support with textbooks, scholarships, discounts on services and help finding work.
CDU After-hours Support Line
If you need support, the CDU After-Hours Support Line is available 24/7, to provide immediate assistance for emotional and mental distress.
Higher Education fee help
Commonwealth supported places
Commonwealth supported places (CSPs) are available to eligible Higher Education students. Under a CSP, the Government pays part of your fees. This is a subsidy, not a loan, so you don't have to pay it back.
You will still need to pay the remainder of your fees through a 'student contribution' and also a Student Services and Amenities Fee.
For more information visit Study Assist - Commonwealth supported places (CSPs).
Higher Education Loans Program (HELP)
HECS-HELP
HECS-HELP is a loan scheme available to eligible students who are enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place. This will help you pay for your student fees (student contribution). These fees will be deferred and you will pay them back through the tax system when your salary reaches the repayment threshold.
For more information and to check your eligibility, visit Study Assist - HECS-HELP.
HECS-HELP discount
As of January 2023, the Australian Government will no longer offer the 10% discount for students making a payment of their student contribution amount upfront.
FEE-HELP
FEE-HELP is similar to HECS-HELP but is available to eligible postgraduate students enrolled in full-fee courses. This means that you are not enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place.
For more information and to check your eligibility, visit Study Assist - FEE-HELP.
SA-HELP
SA-HELP is a loan scheme available to eligible students to pay for all or part of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). The repayment of these loans is the same as the HECS-HELP loan scheme, meaning you will need to repay it through the tax system once your salary reaches the repayment threshold.
If you are eligible for SA-HELP, you will be prompted to complete the form when enrolling via MyStudentInfo.
Visit Study Assist - SA-HELP for more information.
Fee help for TAFE students
VET Student Loans
Students who are enrolled in a Diploma, Advanced Diploma, VET Graduate Certificate or a VET Graduate Diploma can apply for a VET Student Loan (VSL). This will support the payment of tuition fees. The amount you can borrow for your tuition fees is determined by the Australian Government.
VSL must be repaid through the tax system once you start earning above a certain threshold. This income threshold changes each year. Visit Study Assist for updated information on loan repayment.
To find out more, visit the VET Student Loans webpage.
How to apply
- After enrolling in a VET Student Loans approved course and reading the VET Student Loans Information Booklet, contact Student Central and tell them you want to access a VET Student Loan.
- CDU will then assess your eligibility. If you are assessed as eligible, CDU will enter your enrolment information into the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) system.
- The eCAF system will send you an email with instructions on how to complete the application.
- Complete the eCAF, including providing your Tax File Number (TFN).
- After submitting the eCAF, you will receive an email confirmation that your application has been approved. CDU will now be able to view your eCAF.
Please note: all Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) have the total number of loans available to their students through the VET Student Loan scheme capped. This means that CDU cannot guarantee you access to a VET Student Loan if the total loans cap has been exceeded.
If the loan cap is exceeded, you will be liable for your course fees. If you find yourself in this situation, CDU staff will be happy to discuss financial support. For more information please contact Student Central.
TAFE Pathway
If you decide to follow a pathway from a TAFE course to a Higher Education course, your course fees will be reduced.
For example, if you study a Diploma of Business at CDU and decide to then go on to do a Bachelor of Business, you are eligible for up to 80 credit points (1 year of full-time study). Your credit transfer will have no fee, so you are only paying for this study once, but using the qualification twice!
CDU also offers direct admission into some of our degrees for students who have completed the relevant TAFE pathway. This means you do not have to pay the SATAC application fee saving you between $75 and $270 (depending on when you applied).
How to apply
To apply, visit MyNextCourse and create an account. Once your account has been created, you'll receive an email with login details to complete your application.
Financial support during study
Centrelink
Youth Allowance
If you're a full-time student or Australian Apprentice under the age of 24, you might be eligible for Youth Allowance. You'll receive payments from Centrelink to help cover the costs of living while you're studying, and you don't have to pay this back.
To work out if you're classified as a full-time student, visit Study loads for Austudy and Youth Allowance.
To find out more about eligibility for Youth Allowance and how you can apply, visit Services Australia - Youth Allowance.
Austudy
Austudy is similar to youth allowance but is for full-time students and Australian Apprentices aged 25 or older. The amount you can get from Austudy depends on how much you earn.
To work out if you're classified as a full-time student, visit Study loads for Austudy and Youth Allowance.
To find out more about eligibility for Austudy and how you can apply, visit Services Australia - Austudy.
ABSTUDY
ABSTUDY is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enrolled in an approved full-time Australian Apprenticeship.
To find out more about eligibility for ABSTUDY and how you can apply, visit Services Australia - ABSTUDY.
Textbooks
Keep an eye on the CDU notice board and general mailing lists for second-hand textbooks for sale.
Some scholarships can also be used to purchase textbooks.
Scholarships
Scholarships are open to all Higher Education and TAFE students at CDU. Scholarships can help with the costs of living and studying. This includes international students.
Use the Scholarships Finder to see what scholarships you're eligible for.
Discounted services
As a student at CDU, you can get discounts on a range of services on and off-campus.
Child care
Goodstart CDU is located in the Green Precinct at Casuarina Campus and offers discounted rates to students.
Hair and beauty salons
CDU have hair and beauty salons in both Darwin and Alice Springs. These are first-class training facilities where you can get services at competitive prices.
Training restaurants
CDU have two restaurants where wait staff, bar staff and cookery apprentices are trained. The Karawa Restaurant is located at the Palmerston campus and the Desert Lantern Restaurant is located in Alice Springs. Both offer excellent food and service at very competitive prices.
Finding work
Finding casual or part-time work while you're studying can help cover the costs of living. Keep an eye on online recruitment pages such as Career One and Seek.
Local businesses that have employment opportunities for students will often advertise through CDU's Career and Employability service My Career Centre.
My Career Centre can help you build your resume and learn how you can increase your employability. If you register with My Career Centre, you'll receive weekly emails about current job vacancies too.
You can also find out about upcoming career events including employer talks, workshops, seminars and careers fairs. This can help to grow your understanding of different industries and careers.
Work at CDU
CDU employ students across a range of different areas through the university. You can check out CDU Jobs for current vacancies and to sign up for the employment register.
Responsible Serving of Alcohol (RSA) Certificate
Getting your RSA can help increase your chances of employment in hotels, bars and restaurants. You can complete your RSA at CDU's Palmerston campus. For more information, contact Student Central.
Internships
A number of courses offered by CDU have work experience placements and internships which help international students prepare for the workplace.
First Nations students
ABSTUDY
ABSTUDY is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people enrolled in an approved full-time Australian Apprenticeship.
To find out more about eligibility for ABSTUDY and how you can apply, visit Services Australia - ABSTUDY.
Away from Base program
The Away from Base program helps to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students when they are studying from a remote location. The program helps to cover the costs of travel, meals and accommodation when students need to travel to complete parts of their course.