Paid Placements for Domestic Students

PAID PLACEMENTS FOR DOMESTIC STUDENTS

If you are a domestic student studying a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in teaching, nursing, midwifery or social work, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Prac Payment for placements starting after July 1^st 2025.

How do I know if I can receive the payment?

The Prac Payment program is funded by the Australian Government. The payments are administered by the University. If you are enrolled in an eligible placement unit, you should receive an email from the University inviting you to apply. If you think you are eligible and haven’t received an email, contact the Scholarships team through Curtin Connect.

How much is it?

Eligible students can receive up to $331.65 per week during mandatory unpaid placements. The maximum number of weeks you can receive the payment during your course depends on the length of the pracs required by the accrediting body during your course. For example, Nursing or Midwifery Bachelor students can receive up to 20 weeks of placement payments over the duration of their course.

What can I use it for?

Placement-related costs, including travel and accommodation, materials and uniforms, and general living costs.

What are the criteria for approval?

Enrolment

You need to be a domestic student (Australian citizen/permanent resident, New Zealand citizen, Australian humanitarian visa holder or Pacific Engagement visa holder) in a Commonwealth-supported place (CSP).
You need to be enrolled in an eligible placement unit involving a mandatory unpaid placement
The placement must be full-time (so at least 30 hours per week)
The placement has to begin after 1st July 2025

Financial

You are either receiving an eligible Centrelink benefit(s)

You meet the government’s “need to work” showing you usually need to work more than 15 hours a week to support yourself and you have a maximum pre-tax income of $1500 per week for a continuous 4 week period before you apply, including scholarships from the University that are directly paid to you

When can I apply?

You can apply anytime before the start of your placement. If you’re not receiving a Centrelink benefit, you may need to supply some evidence about your finances for a 4-week period during an ordinary study period. There is more information about evidence requirements below.

My circumstances are challenging but don’t fit into the criteria – what do I do?

Apply anyway! The University and Government can consider “exceptional circumstances”. For example, if you have caring responsibilities that mean you can’t do your prac full time, you may still be considered for the payment. There is more information about evidence requirements below.

What if I start the placement full time but have to drop to part time?

You need to let the University know as soon as possible to prevent overpayment. If there are exceptional circumstances that caused the change, you may still be eligible to receive the payment – you’ll just need to provide evidence.

What if I don’t finish the placement?

You’ll need to pay back any money you received for the part of the placement you didn’t finish.

What sort of evidence do I need to provide?

Centrelink: evidence of the benefit you receive and how much it is

Income: There are several options:

Your payslips for a continuous 4-week period before applying. The payslips must show the date!
A letter from your employer confirming your income and the dates of the period you earned it
If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to show client invoicing/billing information and your timesheets
Information about any Scholarships or any other income you receive

Exceptional Circumstances:

A Curtin Access Plan (CAP) which covers and details the reasonable adjustments for your placement hours and attendance.
A certificate or letter from a registered health practitioner, that includes details of how it affects your ability to engage with work or study, any adjustments required to work or study and how long they apply, and the estimated time you’ll be unable to meet the criteria
Evidence of any caring responsibilities such as letters from a treating medical professional
A death certificate, death, or funeral notice – or a letter from a medical or mental health professional about the impact the circumstances had on your health or wellbeing
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, support from the Centre for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) or similar indigenous support service provided by the University
Family violence support service documents, documents issued by a police service, or documents issued by a court as per the Fair Work Ombudsman’s publication, ‘Notice and evidence for family and domestic violence leave’

My application was rejected but I think I’m eligible – what do I do?

You can appeal the decision to the University. Student Assist can help guide you through this process.

CONTACT STUDENT ASSIST

We're the free support and advocacy service of the Curtin Student Guild.

Our officers are unbiased, confidential, and—most importantly— run by the Guild, therefore completely independent of Curtin University

Please include your name, student number, course of study and a description of your query.

Email: student.assist@guild.curtin.edu.au
Phone: (08) 9266 2900
Free call: 1800 063 865

Building 106F, Curtin University
Monday to Friday, 9am - 4pm (AWST/UTC+8)

Students at any Curtin campus are welcome to contact us. Our time zone is Australian Western Standard Time (UTC+8).

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