Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP)

For this category, you will need to demonstrate that you receive Commonwealth income support, Veterans' Affairs support or ABSTUDY living allowance.

Commonwealth income support documents

You will need to demonstrate that you are on a Commonwealth income support payment:  

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

Submit a copy of your Centrelink payment details or an income statement:

1. Log into Centrelink Online Services
2. Select request a document under 'Documents and appointments'
3. Choose either: Centrelink Payment Details or Income Statement

Department of Veterans' Affairs documents

You will need to submit a copy of your DVA Payment Summary or General Statement of Pension to demonstrate that you receive one of the following:

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

To be eligible, your documents need to show that:

• you worked more than 15 hours a week on average or no less than 60 hours total during the four weeks before either applying for the CPP, or starting your placement, whichever comes first
• your pre-tax income did not exceed $6000 (or $1500 per week on average)*, either in the four weeks before applying for the Commonwealth Prac Payment or the four weeks before starting your placement – whichever is earlier.

*including scholarship payments, or similar financial cost-of-living assistance from the Commonwealth, States and Territories.

Documents

For students employed by a workplace, documents can include:

• payslips
• payroll summaries
• time and wage records
• letter from your employer.

For self-employed students, documents can include: 

• client invoices
• billing information
• sole trader timesheets.

You must declare any lump sum payments you have received directly, as these payments will be converted into a weekly amount and counted as income during the eligibility assessment. 

These could include:

• scholarships or bursaries
• wages or wage subsidies
• financial support from your University, or any other government agency (Commonwealth, State or Territory).

Changes to the application form

The Commonwealth Practicum Payment (CPP) application form includes a section for exceptional circumstances. 

To be eligible to apply for an exceptional circumstance, the circumstance must be:

• outside your control (for example, a disability) and/or temporary, uncommon, irregular, or unusual (for example, a short-term illness)
• supported with credible, written evidence showing that it directly and significantly affected your ability to meet the eligibility requirements for placement hours, the need to work test, or the income test
• a temporary or unusual situation that has stopped you from meeting the requirement (in the case of income support and/or income eligibility requirements).

Completing the form 

You'll need to select the category that best describes your exceptional circumstances from the list below:

• Disability: Due to circumstances related to my disability, you have been unable to meet the CPP eligibility requirements.
• Health and medical: Due to circumstances related to my health or medical condition, you have been unable to meet the eligibility requirements of the CPP.
• Acute personal or family life event: Due to acute personal or family circumstances, or someone with whom you have a significant relationship, you have been unable to meet the eligibility requirements of the CPP. 

Exceptional circumstances can be either:

• Episodic: where you do not meet the CPP eligibility criteria because you are affected temporarily, uncommonly, irregularly or unusually (e.g. you or someone who has a significant relationship to you was sick during the four-week evidentiary period and that meant you did not meet the ’need to work’ eligibility requirement).
• Ongoing: where you do not meet the CPP eligibility criteria on an ongoing basis (e.g. you are a student with disability). These circumstances are typically long standing and may pre-date the CPP evidentiary period but are considered exceptional where they continue to present a barrier to eligibility and are outside your control.

You'll need to select which of the following criteria you cannot meet:

• Placement hour requirement: Which requires you to participate in my placement for 30 hours or more per week on average.
• Need to work test: Which requires you to have worked on average more than 15 hours per week during the 4 weeks before applying for the CPP or the 4 weeks prior to commencing placement, whichever is earlier.
• Income test: Which requires you have earned less than $1,500 per week pre-tax on average during the same period documented in the need to work test.

You need to support your application with relevant documents. For example: Medical certificates, individual education plan, letters from employers, etc.

Your application will be reviewed by Victoria University and sent to the Australian Government Department of Education for assessment. 

If you have any questions or need further support, you can email us, speak to us via live chat, visit one of our VUHQ student service centres or call us on +61 3 9919 6100 .

VU will assess each 'exceptional circumstances' application in line with the Department of Education guidelines. 

It is a Commonwealth-government requirement that we submit applications to the Department of Education for a decision on eligibility. We will seek your consent before submitting your application. It can take a long time to review applications, due to the government assessment. This is beyond VU’s control.

If the application is accepted by the Department of Education, you will only receive payment for the weeks affected by exceptional circumstances.

The following are scenarios that would meet the 'exceptional circumstances' criteria:

• You need reasonable adjustments made to placement hours (to less than 30 hours per week on average), and/or you’re unable to meet the income eligibility criteria (e.g. illness or disability entitled you to adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education 2005).
• Where you are unable to meet the need to work income criteria due to circumstances beyond your control. For example, you are not able to work more than 15 hours per week on average (during the four-week evidentiary period detailed under income criteria) because of an illness, disability or caring responsibilities, despite ordinarily relying on paid employment of less than $1,500 per week (before tax) during the same four-week period.
• Where you may meet the income criteria but are unable to provide supporting documents as evidence because of circumstances beyond control (such as a natural disaster).

VU will not be able to approve an application if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria because of circumstances that are temporary, uncommon, irregular, unusual or within your control, per the Department of Education guidelines.

Depending on your circumstances, in support of your application you may be asked to provide:

• medical documentation
• individual education plan
• earning adjustments plan (or equivalent).

You will receive an email to your student email account, with a link to a CPP application form. You will receive separate emails with individual application links for each eligible placement.

When you receive your CPP application form, you should apply as soon as you’re able, once your placement is confirmed.

Please note that the last date to apply for the CPP is the last date of your placement.  

1. Click on the link in the email
2. Identify which eligibility criteria you meet
3. Fill in your details
4. Attach supporting information
5. Submit!

VU will assess your application based on the government's CPP eligibility criteria. 

If you have not provided enough information, we will send you another email with a link for your chance to submit more.

Once the team have assessed this application, they will let you know whether you are eligible for the CPP.

If you're successful, update your bank account details within MyVU as soon as possible, in order to receive the payment.

If you encounter changes to your personal circumstances, or significant events occur that could affect your eligibility for the CPP or the ability to complete your placement, you must notify VU as soon as you can.

This may include:

• You wish to withdraw a submitted Commonwealth Practicum Payment application
• You receive any updates or changes to the timing or length of your placement
• Changes to eligibility, such as income criteria such as no longer receiving income support, or your income exceeding the threshold
• Withdrawing from, or being withdrawn from, your placement or course

As part of your application, you will need to provide evidence of your eligibility. 

This may include:

• Australian citizenship (eg, birth certificate or passport)
• Enrolment in a Diploma of Nursing (download a confirmation of enrolment through your MyVU Portal; see guide below)
• Primary placement evidence – Confirmation of PEP Evidence Letter (required)
• Other Prac placement date evidence (for example: screenshot of your allocated placement from VU WIL InPlace)
• Income or income support payments (for example: a payslip or confirmation of income support payment)

PEP Evidence Letter

Diploma of Nursing students are now required to request an official Victoria University Confirmation of PEP Evidence Letter to support their application. This letter confirms your placement details. To request this letter, email the Placement Team at [email protected] .

You must provide this letter alongside your other supporting evidence. 

Access the portal to begin.

If you don’t have an account, you will need to sign in to MyGov to log in to the ‘Your Career’ portal for the first time. 

Complete your application and submit! 

You can start your application, save and return to complete later, if needed.

Your application will be assessed by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

You will receive an email letting you know of the outcome.

If you encounter changes to your personal circumstances, or significant events occur that could affect your eligibility or ability to complete your placement please reach out to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.