Commonwealth Prac Payments
The Australian Government provides the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) to assist eligible students with costs related to mandatory placements in higher education courses for teaching, nursing, and social work.
At UWA, students undertaking eligible degrees with a mandatory placement can now receive this financial support.
Benefits of the Commonwealth Prac Payment
In 2026, the CPP provides $338.60 per week for the minimum number of weeks required for mandatory placements, as set by the relevant accrediting authority for your course.
The CPP is paid as a one-off allowance for each subject as close to the beginning of the placement as possible.
Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours) – 16 weeks of funding in total
| Eligible Units | Funded weeks | Payment |
| EDUC1018 | 2 | $677.20 |
| EDUC2014 | 3 | $1015.80 |
| EDUC3018 | 4 | $1354.40 |
Master of Teaching (Secondary) – 12 weeks of funding
| Eligible Units | Funded weeks | Payment |
| EDUC5535 | 6 | $2031.60 |
| EDUC5536 | 6 | $2031.60 |
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) – 26 weeks of funding
| Eligible Units | Funded weeks | Payment |
| SWSP3001 | 12 | $4063.20 |
Master of Social Work -26 weeks of funding
| Eligible Units | Funded weeks | Payment |
| SWSP5309 | 12 | $4063.20 |
| SWSP5429 | 14 | $4740.40 |
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible to receive the CPP, you must be:
- An Australian citizen or permanent resident, or New Zealand citizen
- Enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place in Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours), Master of Teaching (Secondary), Bachelor of Social Work or Master of Social Work;
- Completing your placement on a full-time basis (minimum of 30 hours per week)
- Receiving a Commonwealth Income Support Payment or able to demonstrate a need to work
To meet the need to work requirement, you will need to show that you have worked at least 60 hours and earned no more than $6145 (pre-tax) during a continuous four-week period to submitting your application or starting your placement.
How to apply for the Commonwealth Prac Payment
APPLY NOW
You will be required to submit an application for CPP within two months of starting your placement. If you have already started your placement, please apply as soon as possible.
You will need to supply supporting documentation, depending on your eligibility criteria:
- If applying under Commonwealth Income support payment:
A copy of your Centrelink Payment Details or Income Statement retrieved from Centrelink online services
- If applying under Need to Work:
Evidence that you have worked more than 60 hours over a continuous four-week period. Acceptable documents include payroll summaries, time and wage slips, payslips, or for self-employed applicants - client invoices, billing records or sole trader timesheets.
Assessment/Re-assessment
Your application will be assessed against the eligibility criteria that has been set by the Department. We will also check if you are in receipt of a scholarship from the University. If you are, this will be included in your weekly gross earnings calculation.
Once you have been assessed, you will be required to complete a confirmation of ongoing eligibility at the beginning of each placement, for the remainder of your course. This will be emailed to your UWA email address and will include a form that you will need to complete and outline any changes to your circumstances that may impact your eligibility as well as providing supporting documentation.
Outcome notification
You will be provided with an outcome of your application in writing to your student email account. The outcome email will include details on how the payment will be provided, the frequency of payments and a list of obligations and conditions that you will need to adhere to.
FAQs
-
When will I receive my payment?
All payments will be processed in one lump sum close after the commencement of the placement. You will need to ensure that your bank account details have been entered in studentConnect prior to the start of your placements to avoid delays in the processing of your payment.
-
What if my placement is delayed or undertaken at a different time?
If your placement is delayed or you are required to undertake it at a different time than it was originally scheduled, you will need to submit your application at least two weeks prior to the start date of your placement.
-
What if I am undertaking a part-time placement?
To be eligible for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment, students are required to be undertaking a placement on a full-time basis, that is, a minimum of 30 hours per week.
-
What if I undertake part or all my placement interstate or overseas?
If your placement is a required placement for your course and is within the maximum approved placement weeks, you will be eligible to receive the Commonwealth Practicum Payment.
-
What if my circumstances change during my placement?
If there are any changes to your circumstances throughout your studies that may impact your eligibility, you will need to notify the university as soon as practical and you may be required to repay the portion equivalent to the placement not undertaken.
-
What if I need to defer my placement?
If you need to defer your placement for any reason, you may retain the amount paid for the current placement, pending completion of the deferred placement. If you are not planning on returning to complete the placement, you will need to return any money paid to the University.
-
What if I withdraw from my course?
If you withdraw from your course and have received the Commonwealth Practicum Payment and you have not completed your placement, you will be required to return the payment for the equivalent period of placement that was not undertaken. You will be contacted with details on how to return the payment to the University. An administrative encumbrance will be placed on your account until the payment has been returned.
-
What if I change my mind and move to an alternative course that offers the Commonwealth Practicum Payment?
If you withdraw from your course and enrol into another discipline that is approved for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment (eg from teaching to nursing), your entitlements will reset.
-
What types of Scholarships are included in the income assessment?
Any scholarships or bursaries that you have been awarded from UWA that are not tuition scholarships are counted towards your income assessment. Payment of student contribution amounts supplied accommodation or any other form of indirect/in-kind support to students will not be counted towards the income testing requirements.
-
What if my course requires me to undertake more practicum weeks than is approved by the Department?
We can only make payment for the number of total weeks determined by the Department. Additional weeks are not able to be funded by the Commonwealth Prac Payment Scheme.
-
What if I am required to retake or repeat a placement to achieve the minimum requirements?
The department is currently considering policy related to supporting students in this scenario and further information will be provided once a decision has been reached.
-
Does the Commonwealth Practicum Payment impact my social security or tax?
Commonwealth Practicum Payments are considered ordinary income for taxation and social security purposes and may impact the rate at which you receive a social security payment. You are required to declare the amounts of Commonwealth Practicum Payment that you receive to the Australian Taxation Office as part of your annual tax return and to Services Australia for assessment of your ongoing rates of social security payment or other allowance, if applicable.
UWA will provide you with an official document that declares how much Commonwealth Practicum Payment you have received each financial year. Students are responsible for managing potential impacts of Commonwealth Practicum Payments on your support payments or financial assistance from other sources.
-
How to do I review an outcome that I received for my application?
If you have been assessed as ineligible for the Commonwealth Practicum Payment, you can request that the decision is reviewed in line with the University’s Review of Academic Decision Process via the public facing form.
-
What does exceptional circumstances mean
Some students may have exceptional circumstances, which prevent them from meeting the eligibility criteria related to placement hours or means testing but who still require support so they can participate in their placements alongside other students.
This could include where a student has a demonstrated need to change the number of hours of their placement to less than 30 hours per week on average (e.g. as part of reasonable adjustments for a student with a disability) or where illness or caring responsibilities has resulted in a student not being able to work more than 15 hours per week on average during their normal higher education study.
These students will still need to be enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place in an eligible course and will need to demonstrate the exceptional circumstances that apply before being considered for support, including through provision of appropriate documentation (e.g. an UniAccess Adjustment Plan or medical documentation). Decisions on the payment to students under exceptional circumstances will be determined on a case-by-case basis and would only apply to the week/s in which a student is affected.