Commonwealth Prac Payment
The Commonwealth Prac Payment will help ease financial pressures for eligible students during practicums and will help ensure they persist with their studies, graduate, and enter the workforce, helping to address shortages in these important sectors.
The Commonwealth Prac Payment comes into effect from 1 July 2025 and is not retrospective.
Eligible students must be in receipt of a primary Centrelink benefit or met the ‘need to work’ test determined by the Government.
Key facts
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Available to eligible domestic students undertaking mandatory practicum placements and enrolled in teaching, nursing and midwifery, and social work.
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Up to $331.65 per week (based on the single Austudy rate) prorata. Payments will be considered as taxable income.
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The Commonwealth Prac Payment comes into effect from 1 July 2025 and is not retrospective.
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Students will be required to submit an application with supporting documentation prior to going on their placement. A means test will apply to be eligible for this payment.
Eligibility criteria
To meet the eligibility criteria for this payment you must:
- be a domestic student
- be enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in a Commonwealth-supported place
- be completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a course of study that leads to entry-to-practice in teaching, social work, nursing or midwifery
- be enrolled in an approved placement unit with a confirmed placement arranged with your faculty.
You must also meet ONE of the following criteria:
- be undertaking a mandatory placement that is on average 30 hours or more per week for the duration of the placement OR
- be undertaking a continuity of care placement (as part of a course of study in midwifery) which prevents the student from being able to maintain paid work due to the need to ensure their availability during the placement.
You must also meet ONE of the following criteria:
- be on a Commonwealth income support payment (eg. ABSTUDY, Austudy, Youth Allowance or DVA Education Allowance) OR
- meet means-testing criteria based on:
- a ‘need to work test’ (you must show that you need to work during your normal studies by demonstrating you worked on average more than 15 hours a week either in the four weeks prior to applying for CPP or the four weeks prior to commencing your placement, whichever is earlier) AND
- an 'income test' (you must show you do not earn more than $1,500 per week pre-tax on average during the same period, including from scholarships or government assistance).
How to apply
Applications will open on Tuesday 1 July 2025. We will provide further information on the application process closer to the opening date.
More information
For further information about the payment, please email commpracpayment@deakin.edu.au.
You can also read more about the Commonwealth Prac Payment on the Australian Government website.
Please note: Deakin is in ongoing consultation with the Australian Government and the eligibility criteria are subject to change.
