Financial and equity support
Explore programs and resources for students with diverse backgrounds and students who require financial and housing support.
HELP debt information
New and revised HELP debts are now being transferred to the ATO. Find out more about how to check your HELP debt or how to check your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN).
Finance and housing support
If you’re experiencing financial difficulty and would like help managing your living situation, our Student Finance and Housing Advisor is available to discuss what support may be available, including:
- budgeting and money management support
- financial advice and resources
- housing resources and referrals
- government and community financial support
- financial hardship grants
- hardship voucher assistance (food and transport)
Please note that our Advisor cannot apply for the following on your behalf:
- Centrelink or government support
- accommodation or employment.
Get help from a Finance and Housing Advisor
Our support team operates out of StudentHQ within the Hawthorn campus Libraries on a first-come, first-served basis.
Drop in or book an appointment
To speak with our advisor, you can drop by any time during opening hours or book an appointment by emailing financeandhousing@swinburne.edu.au.
Appointments can be arranged outside standard hours if needed.
If you are based at Croydon or Wantirna, please reach out to book an appointment.
Opening hours
- Monday: 10am – 1pm
- Tuesday: 1pm – 4pm
- Wednesday: 1pm – 4pm
- Thursday: 10am – 1pm
Location
- Hawthorn: Student HQ, Hawthorn Library (LB Building), Level 2, off John Street
Equity transition support
Swinburne’s Equity Transition Program aims to help improve access, engagement, and success for Swinburne students. We connect students with the resources and support services that best suit Swinburne’s diverse student base. We work closely with students through the application and enrolment process and into the early stages of their course. We make sure students are equipped to face challenges throughout their Swinburne experience.
We acknowledge that students seeking asylum in Australia face barriers throughout their career and study journeys. Swinburne welcomes students seeking asylum and their diverse lived experience. Whether you’re looking for work, a home, need help with studying or if you are thinking about beginning your journey at Swinburne, contact our Equity Transition officers for support.
Scholarships and Fee Concessions
Check if you are eligible to apply for one of the scholarships below, or explore the range of grants available:
Swinburne Welcome Scholarship
Swinburne Welcome Scholarships are open to students who are seeking asylum holding one of the following Visa types:
Bridging Visa ‘E’ (BVE’s) (subclass V050),
Temporary Protection Visas (TPV) (subclass V785)
Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) (subclass V790)
Temporary Humanitarian Concern (V786)
These scholarships are offered to students enrolled in undergraduate and UniLink Diploma programs, and some Vocational Education Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas.
Swinburne Welcome Scholarships 2026
Access Scholarships
Access Scholarships aim to provide Australians from low SES backgrounds with the opportunity to study at university.
Access Scholarships are open to commencing students who:
Are experiencing financial or personal hardship, or low socioeconomic status
Hold a permanent humanitarian visa
Have a care experience from an Australian State or Foster Care program
Have relocated from a regional or rural location to study
Access Scholarships 2026 - Direct Applications
Asylum Seeker VET Program
The Asylum Seeker Vocational Education and Training (ASVET) program provides eligible asylum seekers granted temporary residence an exemption from the usual citizenship or residency eligibility criteria required for participation in a government-subsidised Skills First training course.
We offer a range of support services to students with a care experience — the 'Forgotten Australians'. If you’ve experienced foster, kinship, residential or permanent care, we can help you transition to university or TAFE and achieve your academic goals.
As a proud partner of the Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare’s Raising Expectations project, we’re committed to helping more care experienced students thrive in further education.
Whether you’re looking for help with studying or if you are thinking about beginning your journey at Swinburne, contact our Equity Transition officers for support.
Scholarships and Fee Concessions
Check if you are eligible to apply for one of the scholarships below, or explore the range of grants available:
Access Scholarships
Access Scholarships aim to provide Australians from low SES backgrounds with the opportunity to study at university.
Access Scholarships are open to commencing students who:
Are experiencing financial or personal hardship, or low socioeconomic status
Hold a permanent humanitarian visa
Have a care experience from an Australian State or Foster Care program
Have relocated from a regional or rural location to study
Access Scholarships 2026 - Direct Applications
Care Leaver Bursary
We offer a number of Care Leaver Bursaries for students who spent time in formal out-of-home care, to help achieve their academic goals.
Skills First Youth Access Initiative
Free tuition for young people aged up to 24 who have been/or are on a Child Protection Order, Family Court Order or a Youth Justice Order, studying a variety of TAFE courses.
Contact our equity transition officer
Drop in or book an appointment
To speak with our equity transition officer, you can drop by any time during opening hours or book an appointment by emailing studentequity@swinburne.edu.au.
Appointments can be arranged outside standard hours if needed.
If you are based at Croydon or Wantirna, please reach out to book an appointment.
Opening hours
- Monday: 10am – 1pm
- Tuesday: 1pm – 4pm
- Wednesday: 1pm – 4pm
- Thursday: 10am – 1pm
Location
- Hawthorn: Student HQ, Hawthorn Library (LB Building), Level 2, off John Street
More support services and resources
If you’re experiencing financial difficulty or need support with your living situation, our Student Finance and Housing Advisor can help you understand what options may be available. This may include guidance on eligibility for payments, managing your finances, accessing grants, or finding housing and community support.
Financial support and eligibility
The No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) offer loans to people on low incomes. Repayment time frames may be up to 24 months.
Borrow up to $2,000 for essentials such as appliances or furniture, car repairs or rego, a new phone or laptop, medical, dental and vet expenses, or education and employment expenses like fees, uniforms, licenses or equipment.
Borrow up to $3,000 for housing-related expenses such as bond or rent-in-advance, or for recovery from a natural disaster, and rates.
Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
Higher education students may be eligible for a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loan from the Australian Government to help pay for the cost of their study now, that they will repay later.
The HELP loan is provided by the Australian Government and needs to be paid back through the Australian tax system once you start earning above the compulsory threshold amount. Your HELP loan will be affected by indexation. Indexation is like interest and will be applied to your HELP loan debts that are older than 11 months on 1 June each year. This means the amount borrowed is likely to grow and students will repay an amount that is more than the original tuition fee.
Find out more about HELP loans
VET Student Loans
Students enrolled in approved higher-level (diploma and above) vocational education and training (VET) courses may be eligible for a VET Student Loan to help pay for the cost of their study now, that they will repay later
A VET Student loan is a loan from the Australian Government you will be required to repay once your income is above the compulsory repayment threshold. Full fee-paying students incur a
20% loan fee which is charged in addition to their tuition fees. VET Student Loans are affected by indexation. Indexation is like interest and will be applied to your loan debts that are older than 11 months on 1 June each year. This means the amount borrowed is likely to grow and students repay an amount that is more than the original tuition fee.
Find out more about VET Student Loans
For assistance with VET Student Loans please attend one of our Student HQ’s or contact via phone or Ask George
Link ASK George and Student HQ
Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan
An Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan (AASL) is an interest free loan to help you purchase trade tools and supplies while being an apprentice. You can borrow up to $25,643 (2024-2025), which is paid in monthly instalments. You can apply for an AASL if you are completing an Australian Apprenticeship in a qualification listed on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List.
For assistance with Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans please see the webpage link below.
The Australian Government provides payments to students who are studying, such as Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy etc. All of these payments have eligibility criteria and will require you to apply directly to Services Australia – Centrelink.
The Student Finance & Housing Advisor can provide guidance on which Centrelink payments you may be eligible for. You can also use Centrelink's Payment and Service Finder to help find what payments you may be eligible for based on your circumstances.
If you are enrolled in a TAFE course at the level of Certificate IV or below, we strongly recommend that you apply for a Low Income Health Care Card. It provides you with access to reduced TAFE Tuition fees, amongst many other discounts. Even if you are not eligible for other student payments, you may still be eligible for a Low-Income Heath Care Card.
We've listed here the student payments available from the Australian Government.
Low Income Health Care Cards
Low Income Health Care Card provide concessions for health care, public transport and living costs (such as gas, electricity and water). They are issued to students who receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY.
Even if you are not eligible for one of these payments, you can still apply for a Low Income Health Care Card.
Youth Allowance
To be eligible for Youth Allowance you must be one of the following:
- 18 to 24 studying full-time
- 16 to 17 studying full time and either independent or needing to live away from home to study, and have completed year 12 or equivalent
- 16 to 24 and doing a full time Australian Apprenticeship.
Find out more or apply for Youth Allowance
Austudy
Financial help if you're 25 years or older and studying or an Australian Apprentice.
To be eligible for the program, you must be:
- 25 or older
- a full-time student in an approved course or Australian Apprenticeship
- under the income test limits.
Find out more or apply for Austudy
ABSTUDY
A group of payments for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students or apprentices.
To be eligible for ABSTUDY you must be:
- an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian
- studying an approved course, Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship
- not getting another payment to study or train.
Find out more or apply for ABSTUDY
Disability Support Pension
Financial help if you have a permanent physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that stops you from working.
To get the Disability Support Pension (DSP), you need to meet both:
- non-medical rules
- medical rules.
Find out more or apply for the Disability Support Pension
Parenting Payment
This is the main income support payment while you’re a young child’s main carer. This payment is also for job seekers who are main carers of young children.
To get Parenting Payment you must:
- be under the income and asset test limits
- meet principal carer rules
- care for a child under 8 if you’re single or under 6 if you’re partnered
- meet residence rules
- not have claimed before the birth of the child.
Find out more or apply for the Parenting Payment
Pensioner Education Supplement
A regular extra payment to help with study costs if you get certain income support from Centrelink.
If you are receiving the Disability Support Pension or the Parent Payment we recommend that you find out more about the Pensioner Education Supplement if you are:
- getting a Centrelink payment that has this benefit as an add on
- studying an approved course
- a full-time student or a part-time student in special circumstances.
Centrelink Advance Payments
Centrelink Advance Payments can assist with living and study costs.
If you receive Centrelink payments (including youth allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY, Parenting Payment and Disability Support Pension) you are eligible to apply for a Centrelink Advance Payment.
Tertiary Access Payment
The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is a one-off payment of up to $5,000. It’s to help eligible students with the cost of moving to study. This is for study after you’ve finished year 12 or equivalent.
To get the payment you need to meet some rules. These include:
- be an Australian resident meeting residence rules
- come from a regional or remote area for tertiary study
- move to study at a tertiary education provider that’s at least 90 minutes away from your family home location by public transport
- be in your first year of tertiary study and have completed year 12 or equivalent.
- studying a tertiary course at certificate IV or above 22 or younger on the day you start your tertiary course
- have parents or guardians whose income is under the current combined parental income limit of $250,000 if you are a dependant
You can claim Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) at any time between 1 January and 31 December for the current year. Regional areas are places that aren’t in or near a major city. You can check if your family home is in a regional or remote area using the Student Regional Area Search.
You can claim this payment in your first year of tertiary study only.
Please ensure you read the information on the following web link before you apply for the TAP: who can get TAP.
Grants and hardship assistance
If you’re struggling financially and having trouble meeting basic living costs, you may be able to receive a grant to help you cover some expenses.
These grants apply to you if you’re significantly financially disadvantaged, or from a low socio-economic background (for example, you or your family receive Centrelink payments).
Grants are available at different times of the year. Search grants for full eligibility criteria and application deadlines.
If you’re facing financial hardship, Swinburne has vouchers and monetary grants that can help you cover the costs of urgent and short-term needs, including:
- Food
- Travel
- Living expenses
- Medical costs
- Direct study expenses
Funding for these grants is provided by the Australian Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program.
Applications for local students are now open.
Who is eligible?
Students enrolled in any undergraduate, associate degree or UniLink level course may apply for financial hardship support. However, eligibility is dependent on multiple factors related to citizenship/visa status and current financial situation.
How to apply
Applications for financial hardship support will need to include details of your current financial situation and relevant supporting documentation, which can include:
- Centrelink income statements
- Utility bills
- Payslips
- Rental agreements
- Bank statements
- Phone bills
To apply for financial hardship support with supporting documentation or get more information on the eligibility criteria, please get in touch with the Finance and Housing Advisor at financeandhousing@swinburne.edu.au.
The Food Bank is here to support Swinburne students by providing free pantry staples and essential items. Open Monday to Thursday, 10am–3pm, students can access up to 11 sessions per semester, you can choose up to 5 items that you need.
The SSA also provide a free daily breakfast, available Monday to Friday, 8–10 AM. It’s the perfect way to grab a bite, meet friends, and start your day right.
Financial guidance and money management
The SSA Tax Help Program provides free, confidential assistance with lodging your tax return. Our trained student volunteers can help eligible students with simple tax returns and answer general tax questions.
Dates: Appointments available from 22 July 2025
Location: GS Building, Level 1, Hawthorn campus
Who can use this program?
You may be eligible for Tax Help if:
- Your income is below $70,000 per year
- You have simple tax affairs
- You are a current Swinburne student
Questions? Contact us:
- 03 9214 5445
- studentlifetaxhelp@swinburne.edu.au
- Follow us on Instagram @ssa.swinburne for updates
Contact us
Finance and Housing Advisor
Get help or book an appointment with our Finance and Housing Advisor by emailing financeandhousing@swinburne.edu.au
Student equity support
Ask a question or learn more about Equity Transition Support by emailing studentequity@swinburne.edu.au