Placement Grant

To be eligible, students will need to meet the proposed criteria below: 

• Be a domestic student enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) 
• Completing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a course of study that leads to entry-to-practice in nursing, midwifery, teaching or social work including; 
  • • Bachelor of Primary Education 
    • Bachelor of Primary Education (Honours) 
    • Bachelor of Health and Physical Education
    • Bachelor of Mathematics Education
    • Bachelor of Science Education
    • Bachelor of Education – The Early Years
    • Bachelor of Education – The Early Years (Honours)
    • Master of Teaching (Primary)
    • Master of Teaching (Secondary)
    • Bachelor of Nursing
    • Master of Nursing (Pre-Registration)
    • Bachelor of Social Work
    • Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)
    • Master of Social Work (Qualifying) 

• Undertaking mandatory placements that are on average 30 hours or more per week duration of placement. Students must be enrolled in one of the following subjects in Spring 2025
  • • SMAH: SNUG192, SNUG292, SNUG308, SNUG392, MNPR918
    • ASSH: EDPD202, EDPD402, EDMT909, EDMT910, EDPS201, EDPS402, EYLL302, EYPD102, SOWK410, SOWK916, SOWK924 

AND EITHER 

• Be on a Commonwealth income support payment 

OR 

• Meet means-testing criteria based on:
  • • A ‘need to work test’ where students must show that they worked an average of more than 15 hours a week in the 4 weeks prior to applying for CPP or starting placement (whichever is earlier) 

AND 

• An individual income threshold set at earning no more than $1,500 per week (pre-tax) during the same period. 

Domestic students who do not meet the CPP requirements due to exceptional circumstances may still qualify for support. Exceptional circumstances include situations where a student is unable to satisfy means testing or placement hour requirements due to disability, illness or carer responsibilities.  

Students must still be enrolled in a Commonwealth Support Place and provide appropriate documentation to demonstrate exceptional circumstances. If the University is satisfied that exceptional circumstances apply, applications will be referred to the Department of Education for approval.  

Decisions on CPP payments are made on a case-by-case basis and only apply to the week(s) during which the student is affected. 

If you do not meet CPP eligibility due to exceptional circumstances, please contact the Fees & Scholarships team at scholarships@uow.edu.au  

Exclusions for the purpose of seeking Exceptional Circumstances: 

• Non-domestic students 
• A student not enrolled in CSP 
• A student undertaking a placement where the course design requires fewer than 30 hours (on average) per week 
• A student whose inability to meet work or placement requirements is not temporary, uncommon, irregular or unusual, outside of the student’s control 
• A student enrolled in a discipline not currently approved under the program 
• A student who is unable to demonstrate that exceptional circumstances apply through relevant supporting documentation 

You must submit your application within 6 months of starting your placement. Payments will only be made for placements beginning on or after 1 July 2025. 

Supporting Documentation  

The supporting documents you need to provide will depend on whether your application is based on receiving income support or on the need to work. See details below: 

Income Support Payment 

Provide a copy of your Centrelink Income Support Statement confirming you are receiving income support payments. Eligible payments and allowances include;

Centrelink Income Support Payment - acceptable forms of evidence includes a Centrelink Income Support Statement obtained via the ‘Request document’ function on Centrelink Online Services.

• Age Pension 
• Austudy 
• Carer Payment 
• Disability Support Pension 
• JobSeeker Payment 
• Parenting Payment 
• Special Benefit 
• Farm Household Allowance 
• Youth Allowance 

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) payments - acceptable forms of evidence include either a DVA Payment Summary or General Statement of Pension. 

• Age Pension 
• Income Support Supplement 
• Service Pension 
• Veteran Payment 
• Education Allowance 

ABSTUDY - acceptable form of evidence includes a document from Centrelink Online Services.

• ABSTUDY Living Allowance 

Students who are not receiving an income support payment must satisfy the means-test criteria below: 

OR 

Need to work 

Provide evidence that you have worked more than 15 hours per week during a continuous 4-week period in an ordinary study period and earned less than $1,500 per week (pre-tax) within the same period.  

Acceptable evidence includes payroll records, time and wages sheets, payslips, or for self-employed students, client invoices, billing information, and/or sole trader timesheets.  

Additional Evidence 

If you have received scholarships or other forms of cost-of-living assistance from UOW or from the Commonwealth, State or Territory governments, you will be required to provide evidence. Acceptable evidence includes an offer letter or statement including the details of the financial support.  

If you are eligible to receive the CPP, you’ll receive a letter of offer sent to your UOW email, along with all the relevant terms and conditions and an online form to accept or decline the offer.  

If you choose to accept the CPP offer you will be asked to provide your bank details.  

Students will receive the CPP payment monthly (at the rate of $331.65 per week) from the date that they commence placement. The number of weeks you can receive the CPP will depend on your course, as follows: 

• Nursing (Bachelor & Masters): 20 weeks 
• Education (Bachelor): 20 weeks 
• Education (Master): 16 weeks 
• Social Work: 26 weeks  

If your circumstances change at any point in a way that could affect your eligibility for the CPP, you must notify the University immediately. This includes (but is not limited to) situations that affect your income, placement hours, and/or withdrawal from a placement subject or course.  

If you are no longer eligible to receive the payment, you will be required to repay the University any amount received for the period you were not eligible.  

UOW will provide the total amount paid for CPP at the end of each financial year. You will be required to report CPP payments as income with the Australian Taxation Office. Further information is available at the Services Australia website (https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/)  

Recipients are responsible for declaring any CPP received to Services Australia for social security purposes, Department of Veterans’ Affairs or any other relevant department that requires income disclosure. 

What dates are considered ordinary study period? 

The study period commences on the first date of lectures for Autumn and Spring session and ends on the final day of exams for that session, including any mid session and study recess periods. 

What happens if I fail my placement? 

If you fail your placement, you may retain the amount already received.  If you wish to, you may apply again for the CPP payment for the failed subject, however this will count towards your total weeks of CPP available for your course and affect your eligibility for payments at the end of your course, once you exhaust your maximum allocation. 

Can part-time students access CPP? 

CPP is available to full-time and part-time students, however, the student must be able to meet the eligibility requirements for the placement and payment. 

Can I start my application and return to complete the form at a later time? 

No, the application and all required documentation must be submitted at the same time. Please ensure you have all necessary documents ready to upload before starting your application. 

If I meet the Need to Work Test but am working multiple jobs, how can this be confirmed in the application? 

Include the total number of hours worked across all jobs over a four week period. This period must fall within the ordinary study period (i.e. not during holiday breaks prior to submitting your application). Supporting documentation for each job must be included in your application. You can upload up to five (5) documents. 

Do I need to include details if I am receiving a scholarship or other financial assistance? 

As part of the application, you will be required to provide a copy of your offer letter or statement including the details of the financial support. 

If you are receiving a scholarship as an annual/lump sum payment, the total value will be converted to a weekly amount and must be considered as part of the income threshold for the purposes of assessing eligibility.