Commonwealth Prac Payment
The Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) is available from 1 July 2025.
As this is a new program, many aspects are continuing to develop. We'll update this page as new information becomes available.
Before submitting an application or enquiry, we strongly encourage you to review all the information on this page.
2. Eligibility
To be eligible for the Commonwealth Prac Payment, you must:
Meet all of the following criteria:
And either:
Note: If you are unable to meet these requirements due to exceptional circumstances, you can submit an application under the exceptional circumstances provisions.
Eligible courses
Entry-to-practice bachelor or master degrees in midwifery, nursing, social work and teaching that are accredited/approved by the relevant professional standards body are eligible for the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP).
The CPP-eligible courses are listed below against the eligible programs, as well as the maximum number of weeks you can receive the payment.
Education
The maximum number of weeks you can receive CPP is:
- 16 weeks for eligible bachelor level programs in teaching
- 12 weeks for eligible master level programs in teaching.
The eligible courses are listed below:
Program Description | Program Code | Eligible courses |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Education (Primary) | 2306 | EDUC1740; EDUC2740; EDUC3750; EDUC4750 |
Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours) | 2380 | EDUC1740; EDUC2740; EDUC3750; EDUC4750 |
Bachelors of Arts / Education (Secondary) | 2066 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Business Management / Education (Secondary) | 2440 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Business Management / Education (Secondary) | 2298 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Mathematics / Education (Secondary) | 2501 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Mathematics / Education (Secondary) | 2398 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Music (Honours) / Education (Secondary) | 2357 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Music / Education (Secondary) | 2539 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Science / Education (Secondary) | 2110 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelors of Science / Education (Secondary) | 2479 | EDUC2601; EDUC3605; EDUC4615; EDUC4625 |
Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education (Honours) | 2372 | EDUC2004; EDUC3006; EDUC4005 |
Master of Teaching (Primary) | 5556 | EDUC7550; EDUC7530; EDUC7535; EDUC7540 |
Master of Teaching (Secondary) | 5685 | EDUC7601; EDUC7605; EDUC7615; EDUC7625 |
Nursing
You can receive a maximum of 20 weeks of CPP for eligible nursing programs.
The eligible courses are listed below:
Program Description | Program Code | Eligible courses |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Nursing | 2241 | NURS1103; NURS1105; NURS2103; NURS2106; NURS3202; NURS3204 |
Bachelors of Nursing / Midwifery | 2290 | MIDW1203; NURS1205; NURS2203; NURS2206; MIDW2203; MIDW2109; NUMW3204; NUMW3214 |
Master of Nursing Studies | 5491 | NURS7124; NURS7127; NURS7129; NURS7131 |
Midwifery
You can receive a maximum of 26 weeks of CPP for eligible Midwifery programs (including 6 weeks for Continuity of Care placements).
The eligible courses are listed below:
Program Description | Program Code | Eligible courses |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Midwifery | 2261 | MIDW1103; MIDW1105; MIDW2103; MIDW2106; MIDW3102; MIDW3104 |
Bachelors of Nursing / Midwifery | 2290 | MIDW1203; NURS1205; NURS2203; NURS2206; MIDW2203; MIDW2109; NUMW3204; NUMW3214 |
Social Work
You can receive a maximum of 26 weeks of CPP for eligible Social Work programs.
The eligible courses are listed below:
Program Description | Program Code | Eligible courses |
|---|---|---|
Bachelor of Social Work | 2540 | SWSP3155; SWSP4266 |
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) | 2382 | SWSP3155; SWSP4266 |
Master of Social Work (Qualifying) | 5767 | SWSP7155; SWSP7266 |
Eligible placements
Eligible placements are mandatory placements that are either:
- on average 30 hours or more per week for the duration of the placement (unless you make an application on the basis of exceptional circumstances); or
- a continuity of care placement undertaken as part of a course in a midwifery program, which ensures students are available during placement by preventing them from maintaining paid work.
As the CPP is being introduced from 1 July 2025, to apply for the CPP this year you must be undertaking at least 1 week of a mandatory placement from 1 July 2025 for your 2025 enrolment.
Generally only Semester 2 courses have placements from July onwards. You can also apply if you have been allocated a block placement for an eligible Semester 1 course, and your placement either:
- commences on or after 1 July 2025; or
- commenced before 1 July 2025 and you have at least one week of placement scheduled after the scheme commences on 1 July.
How long will I receive the CPP?
The Australian Government limits the number of weeks you can access CPP for your program. This limit is based on the minimum period of placement required to receive accreditation from the relevant accrediting body for your program.
When you apply for any given course, UQ will determine how many weeks of CPP will be paid based on the number of CPP eligible weeks for your placement (until you have exhausted your maximum CPP entitlement for the program).
What happens if I need to repeat a course?
- If you fail a placement course and are required to retake or repeat it, you will not be eligible for additional weeks of CPP.
- If you're repeating a course, you can choose to apply for the CPP so long as you haven't exhausted your maximum CPP entitlement.
Eligible Commonwealth Income Support Payments
To meet this criteria, you must be receiving an Eligible Commonwealth Income Support Payment (ISP). If you're receiving more than one eligible ISP, you must provide details for the payment you receive the most income from.
CPP is considered assessable income for taxation and social security purposes, and may impact your regular income support payment.
- You must report your CPP payments to Services Australia in line with your current obligation to report other types of income and financial assistance.
- It's your responsibility to assess and manage the potential impacts of CPP on any Income Support Payment or financial assistance you receive from other sources.
The eligible Income Support Payments are listed below. This is a complete list and no other or similar ISPs or benefits are eligible. For example, Family Tax Benefit A and Family Tax Benefit B are not eligible.
Centrelink income support payments
- Age Pension
- Austudy
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- JobSeeker Payment
- Parenting Payment
- Special Benefit
- Farm Household Allowance
- Youth Allowance
Read more about these payments
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) payments
- Age Pension
- Income Support Supplement
- Service Pension
- Veteran Payment
- Education Allowance
Read more about these payments
ABSTUDY:
'Need to work' and income criteria
If you aren’t receiving an Eligible Commonwealth Income Support Payment (ISP), you will need to meet the 'Need to work' and income criteria set by the Australian Government. These criteria determine whether you:
- normally need to work on average more than 15 hours per week to support yourself during your studies; and
- will be unable to do so because of mandatory placement requirements.
In your CPP application, you'll need to provide evidence of your income before tax and your work hours over a continuous 4-week study period.
You must include your employment income before tax, as well as hours worked from all your paid jobs.
If you have more than one job, you must provide the total income earnt and hours worked.
'Need to work' criteria
To meet this requirement, you must be able to provide evidence that you worked on average more than 15 hours a week in a 4-week ‘evidentiary period’ (unless you make an application on the basis of exceptional circumstances).
This ‘evidentiary period’ must be 4 continuous weeks in the earlier of either:
- the 4 ‘study period weeks’ before applying for the CPP
OR
- the 4 ‘study period weeks’ before commencing the placement.
| Application | Evidentiary period |
|---|---|
| Applying prior to or on the placement start date | a 4-week period prior to the application date |
| Applying during your placement | a 4-week period prior to the placement start date |
| Applying after you have completed your placement | a 4-week period prior to the placement start date |
Please note that 'Study period weeks’:
- can include teaching weeks, mid-semester break, revision period and examination period
- cannot include inter-semester breaks and any weeks in which you were undertaking another mandatory placement
- you may find it helpful to use the 2025 Academic Calendar as a reference.
For example:
- Your placement commences on 25 August 2025 (which is the start of Teaching Week 5 of Semester 2):
- If you apply before the start of Semester 2, the 4-week period must be 4 'study period weeks' of Semester 1. Depending on your circumstances, this may include the revision period and examination period.
- If you apply when the placement starts (25 August 2025), the 4-week period must be teaching weeks 1 to 4 of Semester 2.
Income criteria
To meet this requirement your total before income tax must:
- not exceed $6,000 in the ‘evidentiary period’ for the 'Need to work' criteria
- include income from all sources, such as:
- employment from paid work or self-employment, as well as any wage subsidies
- scholarships from the Commonwealth, States or Territories
- other financial cost of living support payments from the Commonwealth, States or Territories paid directly to you.
For income paid as a lump sum, the value of the payment may be converted to a weekly amount and must be considered as part of the income threshold for the purpose of assessing eligibility. For example:
- If you are awarded a $5,000 scholarship in 2025, you divide this by 52 weeks to get a weekly income of $96.15. This will add $384.60 to your total before tax income for the 4-week ‘evidentiary period’.
- If you are awarded 2 scholarships in 2025, with a total value of $10,000, you divide this by 52 weeks to get a weekly income of $192.30. This will add $769.20 to your total before tax income for the 4-week ‘evidentiary period’.
You must provide documentary evidence of all the income you have included in your your total before tax income. See documentation for more details.