Low completion rate and CSP eligibility
What are the effects of having a low completion rate on my CSP eligibility?
Answer ID 3416 | Last updated on 13/02/2024 11.44 AM
The Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA) has been amended to remove the requirement that students must pass 50 per cent of their units they study to remain eligible for Commonwealth assistance (studying in a CSP or access to a HELP loans). This change is effective from 1 January 2024.
Students enrolled in units of study with census dates on or after 1 January 2024will not need to meet the pass rate requirements.
If you had lost access to commonwealth support due to having a low completion rate, your eligibility for CSP or FEE HELP has been restored in January 2024.
Students enrolled in units of study with census dates on or after 1 January 2024will not need to meet the pass rate requirements.
If you had lost access to commonwealth support due to having a low completion rate, your eligibility for CSP or FEE HELP has been restored in January 2024.
The federal Job Ready Graduates legislation includes changes to ongoing eligibility to hold a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
From 1 January 2022, if you commence a new course of study (including transferring to a new course) and you have a "low completion rate", you will not be eligible for Commonwealth assistance (studying in a CSP or getting HELP loans for your study).
What is a low completion rate?
A low completion rate means:
• You have a fail rate of more than 50 per cent of the units you have attempted, and
• You have attempted eight or more units of study in a bachelor level or higher course (or four or more units in a higher education sub-bachelor course).
For the purposes of this legislation, a failed unit includes any unit in which you were enrolled post-census and subsequently withdrew from, including withdrawal via Special Consideration.
How does this affect tuition fees and HECS-HELP loans?
If you are enrolled in a CSP the government subsidises the cost of your tuition fees, and you pay the balance (known as the Student Contribution Amount) either up front or via HECS-HELP. If you are no longer eligible to hold a CSP:
• You become a full fee-paying student. This will significantly increase your tuition fees, as the government will no longer subsidise your studies, and
• You will lose the ability to defer your tuition fees via HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP and must pay them in full by the census date to avoid enrolment cancellation.
If you are enrolled in a CSP the government subsidises the cost of your tuition fees, and you pay the balance (known as the Student Contribution Amount) either up front or via HECS-HELP. If you are no longer eligible to hold a CSP:
• You become a full fee-paying student. This will significantly increase your tuition fees, as the government will no longer subsidise your studies, and
• You will lose the ability to defer your tuition fees via HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP and must pay them in full by the census date to avoid enrolment cancellation.
What are the options available?
If you are identified as having a low completion rate, you can:
1. Continue your course by paying full fees up front. If you pay up front and increase your completion rate to 50 per cent or higher, you will be eligible for Commonwealth assistance for your course from the next semester after meeting eligibility;
If you are identified as having a low completion rate, you can:
1. Continue your course by paying full fees up front. If you pay up front and increase your completion rate to 50 per cent or higher, you will be eligible for Commonwealth assistance for your course from the next semester after meeting eligibility;
2. Apply to transfer to a new course at UWA. If you are approved to transfer to another CSP course, your previous completion rate will not carry over and you will be able to access Commonwealth assistance for your new course (if eligible). When assessing applications to transfer, we need to ensure that you have the capacity to succeed in the proposed new course and meet any course rules, and so additional documentation may be requested to support your application; or
3. Submit a Fee Remission application for one or more of your failed units. You will need to prove that ‘special circumstances’ applied to you while you were studying the unit/s. The definition of ‘special circumstances’ when determining the units that contribute to your completion rate is the same as for receiving fee remission. As such, the Fee Remission application will automatically also be used to assess your completion rate and CSP eligibility. Circumstances must have been:
o beyond your control; and
o did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit/s; and
o made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit/s.
o beyond your control; and
o did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit/s; and
o made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit/s.
You may like to discuss your progress and course transfer options with your Student Advising Office.
As noted in option 3, above, if you withdrew from units via Special Consideration you may be eligible to receive fee remission. The requirements for receiving UWA Special Consideration and fee remission are not the same. Approval to withdraw via Special Consideration does not guarantee fee remission and eligibility to be deemed to have ‘special circumstances’, and you must lodge a separate application for fee remission via askUWA.
More information can be found on the Job Ready Graduates FAQ page.