Apply for a Commonwealth Prac Payment
If you’re studying nursing, midwifery, teaching or social work, you could be eligible to receive a regular payment when you’re on placement.
Financial support while you're on placement
To make life easier for students with mandatory placements, the Australian Government has introduced the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP). If you’re studying teaching, nursing, midwifery or social work, you might be eligible to receive:
• $331.65 per week for 2025 placements
• $338.60 per week for 2026 placements.
Bachelor's or Master's students
You must be:
-
- a domestic student
- enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
- studying an eligible bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing, teaching, midwifery or social work
- undertaking a full-time placement (at least 30 hours per week) or a continuity of care placement if you’re a midwifery student.
You must also:
-
- be receiving a Commonwealth income support payment (e.g. Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY)
OR
-
- meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria:
- you worked an average of 15+ hours per week over a 4-week period during your normal study (outside placement)
- your income before tax during that period was less than
- $1,500 per week gross (before tax) for 2025 placement dates, or
- $1,536.37 per week gross (before tax) for 2026 placement dates.
- meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria:
If you have a disability, medical condition or health-related issue, or an acute personal or family life event that affects your capacity to meet these eligibility requirements, please complete our exceptional circumstances form before applying for CPP.
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive the equivalent of $331.65 per week (for 2025 placements) or $338.60 (for 2026 placements) in a single lump sum payment for your placement block, for up to:
-
- 20 weeks for nursing (Bachelor's or Master's)
- 26 weeks for midwifery (Bachelor's or Master's)
- 16 weeks for teaching (Bachelor's)
- 12 weeks for teaching (Master's)
- 26 weeks for social work (Bachelor's or Master's).
Gather your supporting documents
If you’re on income support, you'll need:
-
- your Centrelink Payment Details or Income Statement.
If you meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria, you'll need:
-
- payslips showing 15+ hours per week – these should be from either the four weeks before applying for the CPP or the four weeks before commencing your placement, whichever is earlier
- evidence that your income is less than the threshold amount:
- $1,500 per week (before tax) for 2025 placements
- $1,536.37 per week (before tax) for 2026 placements.
Submit your application
Submit your application as soon as possible after your placement is confirmed via the Higher Ed Services Pty Ltd (HES) application portal. Before you begin, you’ll be asked to create an account. Please use your student email address that looks like this: yourname@students.federation.edu.au. You'll be notified about the outcome via your student email.
If you have questions or need help, lodge an enquiry via the application portal.
If your application is successful, and you receive an income support payment from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), you must report your CPP each time you start a new placement. Learn how on the Services Australia website or the DVA website.
You’ll also need to declare your CPP as income on your next tax return.
Diploma students
You must be:
-
- a domestic student
- studying a Diploma of Nursing
- undertaking a full-time placement (at least 30 hours per week).
You must also:
-
- be receiving a Commonwealth income support payment (e.g. Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY)
OR
-
- meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria:
- payslips showing 60+ hours worked over four weeks
- your income during that period was less than the income threshold:
- $1,500 per week gross (before tax) for 2025 placements
- $1,536.37 per week (before tax) for 2026 placements.
- meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria:
If you’re eligible, you’ll receive payment for up to 400 hours of mandatory placement:
- $331.65 per week for 2025 placements
- $338.60 per week for 2026 placements.
Gather your supporting documents
-
- Australian citizenship (e.g. birth certificate or passport)
- Diploma of Nursing enrolment (download your confirmation of enrolment letter from my Student Centre)
- Student Placement Agreement (find it in an email from Adobe Sign or download it from InPlace by going to 'Confirmed' then selecting your placement listing and 'Docs').
If you’re on income support, you'll need:
-
- your Centrelink Payment Details or Income Statement.
If you meet the ‘Need to Work’ criteria, you'll need:
-
- payslips showing 60+ hours worked over four weeks
- evidence that your income is less than the income threshold:
- $1,500 per week (before tax) for 2025 placements
- $1,536.37 per week (before tax) for 2026 placements.
Submit your application
-
- Log into Your Career Portal. You’ll be taken to the myGov sign-in page.
- Sign into myGov.
- Create a Your Career Portal profile.
- Complete your CPP application.
Submit your application as soon as possible after your placement is confirmed. Check your student email for notification about the outcome.
Contact the Your Career team with questions or for help submitting your application.
If your application is successful, and you receive an income support payment from Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA), you must report your CPP each time you start a new placement. Learn how on the Services Australia website or the DVA website.
You’ll also need to declare your CPP as income on your next tax return.
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