Australian Government Support for University Studies

A four-part session for domestic and international students considering or starting higher education in Australia, covering Commonwealth Supported Places, the HELP loan program, the Commonwealth Prac Payment, Services Australia student payments, and the National Student Ombudsman.

Key takeaways

• Most domestic undergraduate students at Australian public universities study in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), meaning the government pays part of their tuition and the student pays a significantly reduced contribution -- which can be deferred to a HELP loan and repaid only once income exceeds $67,000 per year.
• The Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP), available since 1 July 2025, pays eligible nursing, midwifery, teaching, and social work students up to $338.60 per week while on mandatory placement -- around 68,000 higher education students across 44 universities are supported.
• Services Australia offers Youth Allowance (for students 24 and under), Austudy (25 and over), and ABSTUDY (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students of any age), plus the Tertiary Access Payment of up to $5,000 for eligible students relocating from regional or remote areas -- and students can claim up to 13 weeks before their course starts.
• The National Student Ombudsman (NSO) is a free, independent service that all higher education students -- including international students and prospective students -- can use to resolve complaints with their university, covering issues such as fees, enrolment, deferrals, and special consideration decisions.
• The census date is a legally binding deadline each study period: it is the last day to submit your Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) to access a CSP or HELP loan, and the last day to withdraw from a unit without incurring a debt.

Introduction to the session

Welcome to the National Virtual Expo. This session isn't just one session -- it's made up of four different segments. I'm going to be joined by guests from different Australian government agencies to talk about the various aspects, the critical aspects, of going to university as an Australian student and the support that the Australian government has for you. We have a segment looking at Commonwealth Supported Places and the HELP program, a session from the National Student Ombudsman, a session on support payments available through Services Australia, and information on the relatively new Commonwealth Prac Payment program, which started in 2025. Let's jump in to our first segment about Commonwealth Supported Places and the HELP program.

What is a Commonwealth Supported Place?

Rob: In this segment we're talking about government financial assistance for higher education. I'm joined by Nicole from the Department of Education. Nicole, thanks for joining me at the National Virtual Expo.

Guest: Hi Rob. Thanks for inviting me to present today. The session I'm really excited to be delivering today will cover what CSPs and HELP loans are, how to apply, important dates and things to remember, and how repayments work later in life.

Rob: Let's jump right into it. What is a Commonwealth Supported Place?

Guest: A Commonwealth Supported Place, commonly known as a CSP, is a subsidised university place partially funded by the Australian Government. When a student is enrolled in a CSP, the government pays part of the cost directly to the university and the student pays the remaining amount, called the student contribution. This contribution is significantly lower than the full fee charged to students who are not in CSPs. Importantly, a CSP is not a loan and the subsidy does not need to be repaid. Most domestic undergraduate students at Australian public universities are enrolled in CSPs. Some private higher education providers can also offer CSPs in priority fields such as nursing or teaching. CSPs make higher education more affordable and accessible, and understanding whether an offer includes a CSP is a crucial first step when considering higher education study.

Guest: CSPs reduce the cost of your degree. Public universities offer domestic undergraduate students CSPs, but if you choose to study at a private higher education provider, or if you're undertaking a postgraduate course that does not guarantee a CSP place, it's best to do your research and check your enrolment offer carefully. It's also a good idea to compare courses and costs before accepting offers. For example, a student in a CSP might pay around $17,000 a year for a year of study, compared to more than $30,000 as a full-fee-paying student.

Guest: Each unit of study is classified into a funding cluster where the government sets the Commonwealth contribution amount and the maximum student contribution amount that can be charged per year for full-time study, depending on the subject area. The Commonwealth contribution amount is the subsidy that the government pays the university when you're enrolled in a CSP. The middle column shows what the maximum student contribution amount can be. This can either be paid upfront or deferred to a HELP loan, which I'll explain in more detail soon. Throughout your degree, you may undertake units of study from different funding clusters. For example, if you're a nursing student, most of your units will likely be from Nursing Cluster 3, but you may have units from Health Cluster 2 or Medicine Cluster 4. There's a link on our slides where you can view all the fields of education, also known as subject areas.

How the HELP loan program works

Guest: A HELP loan is a study loan from the government under the Higher Education Loan Program, also known as HELP. Many people might be familiar with the term HECS, but that is only one type of HELP loan. An important feature of all HELP loans is that they are income contingent loans. This means that compulsory repayments only happen once a student or graduate is earning enough to make repayments. In this financial year, that figure is $67,000. When you do your tax return, the Australian Taxation Office will calculate your income for the year and tell you on your tax notice of assessment how much your compulsory repayment will be for that year.

Guest: There are four types of HELP loans. HECS-HELP is the most common and is available to students enrolled in a CSP to cover their student contribution amounts. Most school leavers who go to a public university will use HECS-HELP to pay their student contribution. FEE-HELP is similar to HECS-HELP but is only available to eligible students enrolled in full-fee-paying places, including undergraduate degrees at non-university higher education providers. Many postgraduate degrees are likely to be full-fee courses as well -- there are limited master's degrees offered as CSPs, so check your offer carefully. SA-HELP can be used to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee, which is a fee that can be charged by your university or higher education provider for support services like counselling, childcare, sporting facilities, and career advice. If you're a full-time student in 2026, the maximum amount your provider can charge you for the year is $373. OS-HELP assists CSP students who want to take part of their study overseas, such as on an exchange, by providing funds for travel and living costs.

Guest: Each loan type has specific eligibility requirements, and students may hold more than one HELP loan at the same time, provided they meet the criteria. For example, if you decide to do an exchange semester, you might have a HECS-HELP loan for the part of your course you are studying in Australia and a smaller OS-HELP loan to cover some of the expenses for the period you are overseas.

Eligibility for CSPs and HELP loans

Guest: CSP eligibility is assessed by the university or higher education provider based on criteria set in legislation, including citizenship and residency requirements. Generally speaking, Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens, permanent visa holders, and Pacific Engagement Visa holders studying in Australia are eligible for a CSP. Importantly, some students might be eligible for a CSP but are not eligible for a HELP loan, such as permanent residents. HELP eligibility is not means tested, meaning that household income does not affect access to a HELP loan. Students must also have a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI) and a tax file number to access a HELP loan.

Guest: The HELP limit is the maximum amount that the government will lend you -- think of it as your borrowing limit. For most students, the limit in 2026 is $129,883. The limit for students studying medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, or eligible aviation courses is higher, at $186,544. A student's available HELP balance decreases as new loans are taken out, and it increases again as repayments are made. If a student reaches the HELP limit, they have to pay any additional study costs upfront. Students can check their available HELP balance online at My HELP Balance. Monitoring this balance is particularly important for students planning multiple degrees or undertaking postgraduate study, as it affects future access to government student loans.

Guest: The Study Assist website provides an eligibility tool that allows students to check their circumstances and better understand their options before enrolling. We always recommend checking with your intended university if you have specific questions about your circumstances and the eligibility criteria.

Applying for a CSP and understanding the census date

Guest: Students obtain a Commonwealth Supported Place by applying for a course through a university directly or via a tertiary admissions centre in their state or territory, such as UAC, VTAC, or TISC. When a student receives an offer for a course, the offer letter will state whether the place is Commonwealth supported. If the student accepts the offer, the next step is enrolment with the higher education provider. During enrolment, students must complete an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form, also known as an eCAF, which is a HELP application form, by the census date. If you do not submit your eCAF on or before the census date, your enrolment and subsidy will be cancelled, and you will not be eligible to access a HELP loan for that study period.

Guest: The census date is a legally significant deadline. It is the last day to submit an eCAF to access a CSP or HELP loan for a study period, or the last day to pay fees upfront if you're not using a HELP loan. Crucially, it is also the last day that a student can withdraw from a unit of study without incurring a debt or losing an upfront payment. Withdrawing after the census date still creates a debt, so if you're enrolled in a subject and you realise it's not a good fit, make sure you withdraw by the census date so you are not charged. Each higher education provider sets its own census dates, which can vary between courses and institutions. We would encourage students to put the census date in their calendar or set an alarm on their phone.

How HELP debt repayments and indexation work

Guest: You repay your HELP debt through the Australian tax system, once your repayment income is above the compulsory repayment threshold. The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2025-26 financial year is $67,000. If you earn under the threshold, you do not have to make a compulsory repayment. Please note this is based on your individual income, not your family income. Repayments may feel similar to tax being withheld, as employers will withhold HELP repayment amounts from your wages through the pay-as-you-go system. If you don't earn over the minimum threshold for the relevant financial year, the withholdings from your pay will be returned to you as part of your tax return. Voluntary repayments can be made at any time and can help reduce your overall debt. HELP debt repayments are calculated based on your income, not the size of your HELP debt -- the more income you earn, the higher your repayments will be.

Guest: Indexation is the process used to adjust HELP debts each year to reflect changes in the cost of living. Indexation is different to interest in that it is applied to maintain the value of the education, so a student would repay an amount more like the cost of education today. The Australian Taxation Office is responsible for calculating and applying indexation to your HELP debt. Historically, indexation has been based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), but in 2024, a change to legislation means that indexation is now capped at the lower of the CPI or the Wage Price Index (WPI), so a HELP debt will never grow faster than wages. Only HELP debt older than 11 months is indexed on the 1st of June each year. If you were earning more than the minimum threshold and had the ability to make a voluntary repayment before the 1st of June, this will reduce the size of your HELP debt and the indexation applied by the ATO on that date.

Guest: A few important things to remember: a HELP debt does not affect eligibility for other government payments like Austudy or ABSTUDY. There are two types of repayments -- voluntary repayments, which are optional, and compulsory repayments, made through the tax system when you earn over the minimum repayment threshold. Your myGov account linked to ATO online services will show you a consolidated total of your HELP debt at any given time, what your repayments have been, and what indexation has been applied. Your available HELP balance -- how much you have left to borrow -- can be viewed on the My HELP Balance website.

Guest: For students and parents or guardians seeking accurate, up-to-date information, Study Assist at studyassist.gov.au is the Australian Government's official website for information on higher education funding, CSPs, and HELP loans. The site guides users from the basics of starting study through to applying for HELP and managing repayment. It includes eligibility checkers, indexation examples, and short animated videos that explain complex concepts in plain language. We also have a contact us form on the Study Assist website where you can submit questions directly to the Department of Education. And remember that universities have staff whose job it is to help with enrolment and fees -- they are best placed to answer specific questions about your CSP or HELP loan application.

Rob: Thank you so much, Nicole. We really are so lucky in Australia for the support we have for higher education. Nicole, you and I recorded a podcast all about the Study Assist website -- I will make sure that link is available as well. We really went into detail about everything you can find on that site. Just bear in mind that was recorded last year, so always double check your information. But it's a really good starting point if you want to understand everything about this. Nicole, thank you so much for joining me at the National Virtual Expo.

Guest: My pleasure. Thank you.

The Commonwealth Prac Payment for nursing, teaching, midwifery, and social work students

Rob: In this segment we're going to be talking about the Commonwealth Prac Payment, and I'm joined by Kanika from the Department of Education. Kanika, welcome to the National Virtual Expo. Thanks for joining me.

Guest: Thank you so much, Rob. I'm so glad to be here.

Rob: I'm really pumped about this segment because this initiative is such an important one. It started on the 1st of July 2025, and it's such an incredible addition for students in terms of support. Kanika, I believe you have a short presentation for us about the prac payments.

Guest: Today I will be talking about the Commonwealth Prac Payment, or the CPP. The CPP is an Australian Government education and training payment that helps students manage the cost of placement while providing a weekly payment while on placement. In 2026, the payment amount is $338.60 per week. The CPP also supports students in vocational education and training, but today I will be focusing on the higher education component. The payment has been available since the 1st of July 2025 and is paid directly to eligible students through the university. The CPP is available to eligible domestic students enrolled in bachelor or master's degrees in teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work. It will support around 68,000 higher education students across Australia, and we currently have 44 universities delivering the CPP to students.

Guest: If you are considering a career in teaching, nursing, midwifery, or social work, before you enrol you can ask the university if they offer the CPP. You can also check the university's website for any information they have available, or visit the Department of Education website for general information about the payment. Each discipline attracts a maximum number of weeks the payment will be available. For example, a student studying nursing may be eligible for up to 20 weeks of CPP. The payment is designed to support you while you're on placement, including helping with living costs, especially if you need to cut back on work. The CPP applies to students of all ages and it is not means tested based on your partner's or your parents' income.

Guest: To be eligible, higher education students will need to meet three key requirements: being a domestic student enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place studying a bachelor or master's degree that leads to work as a teacher, nurse, midwife, or social worker; and undertaking a mandatory placement that is 30 hours or more per week, or, if you are a midwifery student, doing a continuity of care placement. In addition, students will also need to show that they need some financial support while on placement. This can be done by receiving an eligible Australian Government income support payment such as HELP, Austudy, or Youth Allowance, or by meeting a need-to-work income test, which looks at how much a student has been working and earning. There is also an exceptional circumstances pathway where students may be considered eligible even if they don't fit all the usual requirements.

Guest: To find out more about the CPP, the Department of Education website provides a central source of information about the program, including an eligibility checker you can use to determine if you are eligible, as well as other information on how the program works. Your university will be your main source of contact once you've enrolled, including providing advice on application processes and placement supports.

Rob: This is such an important initiative. When I saw this announced a couple of years ago, I just thought it fills such a gap, and it's going to help so many students. Kanika said 68,000 students will be supported -- it's an amazing initiative. In the description for this segment you will find a link to the department's website where you can look up those details. Kanika, it has been great having you here at the National Virtual Expo. Thank you so much for joining me.

Guest: Thank you so much for having me, Rob. I hope lots of students are now more aware that this is available if they want to become a teacher, nurse, midwife, or social worker. And let's face it, Australia needs more of those people. So if that's one of the disciplines you are studying, thank you in advance for your service to this amazing country of ours.

Services Australia student payments: Youth Allowance, Austudy, and ABSTUDY

Rob: Most of us know that there are government payments available to support eligible university students, but how confident are you that you know what's on offer, and do you know where to go to claim a payment when the time comes? That's what this segment is all about. I'm pleased to introduce Louise from Services Australia. Louise, welcome to the National Virtual Expo.

Guest: Thanks, Rob. It's great to be here.

Rob: Louise, these days you're a communication officer at Services Australia, but not too long ago you were a university student yourself, right?

Guest: That's right. There are a lot of decisions to make when you're starting out, and I understand what an absolute maze of information is out there to wade through.

Rob: Getting an offer for a preferred course is pretty exciting for students, but the decision about whether to go at all isn't just about what course you get into, is it?

Guest: For many it isn't. Getting in is one thing, and being able to live is another. How you're going to support yourself while you're studying and how you'll afford to buy laptops, textbooks, and specialised equipment are also important. Some people might even have to move far away from their current home to attend a particular university, so moving, rent, and set-up costs are an important consideration if that's the case.

Rob: What are the main payments that we need to know about?

Guest: Many people would have heard of Youth Allowance for students. If you are 24 or younger and studying full time, Youth Allowance is most likely the payment for you. How much you can get will depend on your living situation -- like whether you live at home or not -- whether you have a partner, and whether you have children. To give you a rough idea, the current rates are in the vicinity of $480 to $850 a fortnight, depending on your situation.

Rob: And what if someone is over 24 years old? Is there something they might be able to claim?

Guest: Absolutely. If you are 25 or older, you need to look into Austudy. It's a similar payment but designed for mature-age students. Rates are based on whether you are single or partnered and if you have dependent children.

Rob: And what about ABSTUDY? From what I understand, that's for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, correct?

Guest: Yes, that's right. ABSTUDY covers students from high school all the way up to doing a master's or doctorate. It has options for people in a wide variety of situations -- full and part-time students, people living at home and away, single people, people with partners -- and it can cover people with children. It can also include an incidentals allowance to help with the costs of starting your course, like books and tools. So it's definitely worth looking into.

Eligibility rules and the tip to claim early

Rob: That's awesome. I wasn't actually familiar with that incidentals allowance. I'm guessing there are probably some eligibility criteria, though -- not everyone can get these payments?

Guest: Yes, that's true. Eligibility rules vary depending on the payment you're looking at, but generally speaking you need to be doing an approved course, meet Australian residency rules, and satisfy income and asset tests. With income, for example, we look at factors like whether you're dependent on your parents. If you are, we'll consider what you earn and what your parents earn. If you're independent, what your parents or guardians earn doesn't matter -- we'll just look at your income and your partner's, if you have one.

Rob: Are there any tips to be aware of when it comes to applying?

Guest: My tip would be to claim early. You don't have to wait for your first day of class. You can claim up to 13 weeks before your course starts. You don't need a final course offer to apply -- just use the details of the course you have applied to get into, and you can update those details later. People finishing Year 12 and applying for next year can put in their claim for a payment the day after they finish school. Getting it in early means you're more likely to have money in your pocket when those first-semester bills start to arrive.

Rob: That is an absolutely awesome tip. When you finish Year 12 you've got lots of stuff on your mind, and starting uni there are so many things to do. So it's great that this is something you can do in advance. Louise, if anyone listening today wants to start learning more about what they might be eligible for, what is the best way to get started?

Guest: We have a special web page on the Services Australia website just for students. You just need to go to servicesaustralia.gov.au/studentpayments. There are links to more detailed information about the payments we covered today, and other payments designed for students who need to move to study -- for example, the Tertiary Access Payment. It's a means-tested payment of up to $5,000 to help students from regional or remote areas get established in their first year away from home. If you are 22 years or younger on the day you start your course, have to move from a regional or remote area for study, and the distance you've moved from home is at least 90 minutes by public transport, then you should definitely look into it.

Rob: That's exceptional. At this national virtual expo, we've really been conscious of those people who are in regional and remote areas -- higher education absolutely transforms lives. So having access to a payment like that just makes it a little bit easier. For those of you out in the regions who need to come closer into a city to do your studies, make sure you're looking into that Tertiary Access Payment. Louise, any final tips for our audience today?

Guest: I'd also recommend giving the Payment and Service Finder tool a go. You'll find it on our website on the student payments page. It asks a few simple questions about your situation and then gives you a personalised recommendation of payments that you should look into. You can even estimate the payment amount you might get. It takes the guesswork out of what to aim for -- even if you're still working out whether you can afford to go to uni, I think it's a great place to start.

Rob: That's fantastic. Louise, thanks so much for joining me at the National Virtual Expo.

What is the National Student Ombudsman?

Rob: I'm really excited about this segment. My guest is Sarah Bendall from the National Student Ombudsman. Sarah, welcome to the National Virtual Expo. Thanks for joining me.

Guest: Thanks, Rob. It is great to be here. I really believe this is something all students need to know about.

Rob: Maybe we start simple -- what exactly is the National Student Ombudsman?

Guest: The National Student Ombudsman, or NSO as we call it, is a free service for students to use if they need help resolving a complaint with their university. We're independent from universities and we're fairly new -- we've only been up and running for about a year. Our job is to help students and higher education providers to resolve complaints as quickly as possible so that they can maintain a good working relationship and students can get on with their learning experience. In addition to resolving individual complaints, we also have a strong focus on encouraging universities to learn from complaints -- to take the opportunity an individual complaint provides to improve a system or a process, or fix unclear wording on a website, for example.

Rob: Can you unpack the word "ombudsman" for me? I think it's a bit of an unusual one, particularly for students who might be new to higher education.

Guest: It is such a mouthful -- I have to say it all the time because it's part of my title. It's actually a Swedish word, and I'm told it's gender neutral. It's been around since 1809, created in Sweden as an institution that exists to essentially be a people's representative -- that's what it means. There are ombudsmen all around the world, and they are really important institutions for rectifying power imbalances between individual citizens and big constructs like a university. They stand for what's fair. They stand for transparency. They stand for accountability. They're a really good check on any system. And their day-to-day work is complaints handling -- all informal, nudging a system towards a better experience for individuals. I am so pleased that in our modern world, the concept of an ombudsman has really thrived, and it's great that we have one in the higher education sector.

Who can use the NSO and what complaints it handles

Rob: So who can come to the NSO for help?

Guest: All students of higher education providers -- there are around 1.6 million students across our country, probably closer to 1.7 million now. All higher education students, including prospective students and past students, can use the NSO services if they're having trouble resolving a complaint with a uni or a higher education provider. The scope of what we can help with is really broad. In our legislation it says we can help with any action taken by a university, except for just a couple of carve-outs. We can't handle complaints about employment, and we can't handle complaints about academic judgment -- so not the mark you received, which is actually a good thing. Jurisdiction is really, really broad.

Guest: The most common complaints we receive are about course administration -- the back-of-house things that aren't going as they should. Fees and refunds, delays in refunds or fees that seem wrong, issues with course enrolment, issues with offers, issues with deferrals or withdrawals -- just the nuts and bolts of doing a degree. That accounts for about 50% of what comes through the door. We've been going for a year and we're at almost 6,000 contacts from students, which reflects significant demand.

Rob: Part of why we want to include this in the National Virtual Expo is to make sure everyone knows what options are available to them. Sarah, take me through the complaints process. I imagine students aren't just coming to you straight off the bat -- there's something that needs to happen first?

Guest: Yes, that's exactly right, Rob. Resolving a complaint as early in the process as possible is really best for the student -- it's probably the quickest way to get the problem resolved. A good thing to do if you think something is going wrong is to send an email to your course coordinator, which is a really great place to start. Or if it's a back-of-house issue, call or email the course administration team. Give them a reasonable amount of time. If you get a response you're still not sure about, that's absolutely okay. Every university should have a central complaints team, and every university has to publish those details on their website. Go to them next. If you don't think the answer is quite right, or you haven't got an answer in a reasonable amount of time, you can come to the NSO.

Guest: There's also good reason why a student might not want to go through those steps first -- it might be a really sensitive complaint, or a student might be concerned about what might happen if they spoke to their course coordinator. That's really understandable. Even if you haven't done those steps first, you're welcome to call the NSO as a starting point, just as a sounding board for what's happening. We'll listen and give you some advice.

What resolution can look like and why complaining matters

Rob: What can students realistically hope for if they contact the NSO with a concern?

Guest: Resolution really depends on the complaint -- every complaint is different. For complaints about fees, resolutions can include fees being waived if that's the right thing to do, or refunds being given. Around special consideration -- the process where a student believes they should be given leniency on a result due to circumstances -- some resolutions can be that the decision is reviewed and a different decision is made, or the same decision is upheld with a better explanation given for why. My best advice is to think, at the beginning of the process, about what might resolve the complaint for you.

Rob: I know for some people the word "complaint" might feel negative, like they're being a squeaky wheel. But you and I probably feel the same way -- this is about making a system better.

Guest: Exactly. Complaining is not a bad thing. It's actually a really healthy thing for us to do as humans, and the culture we want to promote in universities is one that welcomes complaints as an opportunity to learn. And the most common thing we hear from students is that they get frustrated when they raise an issue with the uni and they don't feel heard. Even just going through a process where you actually feel your views have been heard and you're given a better explanation can be really powerful for students. It's all about shifting the attitude toward complaints.

Advice for students starting university -- and how to contact the NSO

Rob: For students who are watching today or watching this back as a recording and just starting out, what's your biggest piece of advice for setting themselves up for a good experience?

Guest: Firstly, I want to absolutely congratulate students on making the choice to go to uni or to get a qualification, because over 90% of jobs in the next decade will require tertiary qualifications. It's a really bold step and a worthwhile journey. But it is a financial investment. My first piece of advice is to appreciate that you're investing a lot in your education, and it's okay to consider what the university is providing as a service to you. In some ways, a university is just like any other consumer service -- you have rights and you are entitled to expect a quality, high-standard, and safe student experience. If something doesn't seem quite right, it's absolutely okay to speak up and raise that issue with the university, informally or formally. Don't be afraid to. Sometimes if you don't do that, things can get even worse.

Guest: My second piece of advice is that uni is wonderful and it's not like school. You have to take responsibility for your own learning journey -- that's a big shift to make, but it's really important to make it early. That means taking responsibility for understanding how uni works. Take a moment to learn the policies and procedures that unis have to tell you about how the learning journey is structured. It can feel a bit boring, but it's actually really important, because you need to know key dates like the census date and how they impact on your learning experience. The more you do that organising upfront, the better.

Rob: And on that note, Sarah, how do students find you? How do they reach out if they need help?

Guest: The best way to find out more about the NSO and reach out to us is via our website, which is nso.gov.au, where you can lodge a complaint online. We've also got our phone number on the website so you can call us if you want to chat about a complaint. That number is 1300 395 775.

Rob: I've made sure those details are in our session description below, so if you'd like to bookmark that -- that's not a bad thing to have saved in your phone. You hopefully will never need it, but if you do, it's there. One more question for you, Sarah -- writing a complaint can feel really daunting. What would you say to a student who is nervous about speaking up?

Guest: It can be really daunting, especially if there is a power imbalance. If you're a first-year student and you feel like something unfair is happening, and the uni is a really big institution, it's really difficult. My advice would be to take that first step. If the most comfortable first step is reaching out to the NSO, please do that and we'll talk you through how you might navigate the uni's internal complaints process first. And it's good to remember that if you don't resolve a complaint, it can have a surprising impact on your health and wellbeing. If something is sitting in the back of your mind unresolved and you feel you've been unfairly treated, sometimes if you don't take the step of speaking up, it's worse in the long run. While it might seem daunting in the moment, I really believe it's better for you in the long run to take that step, no matter what the outcome.

Protections for international students in Australia

Rob: One last question -- are international students in Australia also able to contact the NSO?

Guest: Yes, 100%. International students are absolutely welcome to use the NSO services. Around 40% of complaints we receive at the moment are from international students, which is disproportionately high relative to the number of international students in Australia, which sits at around 30% of the student population. So it's great to see international students using the NSO services. And one last point on that -- my background is in international education, so I can say: if you are from overseas, Australia has the strongest protections for international students of any country in the world. Not just the NSO -- we have legislative frameworks around academic quality, protections for international students in relation to education agents, and protections for students in regards to the tuition they pay. We literally have the best system in the world for protecting you as an international student. So if you are from overseas, don't hesitate to reach out to the NSO. It will not affect your visa in any way. You are safe to do so. Please take advantage of that if you feel you need it.

Rob: Sarah, thank you so much for joining me here at the National Virtual Expo.

Guest: It is an absolute pleasure to be here. Any chance we get to raise awareness of the NSO, we will happily accept. Wishing all of your listeners the best of luck for the year ahead.