Student Services and Amenities Fee FAQs

The SSAF model allows funding to areas which would not normally be allocated through operational costs or cannot be funded due to legislation or education guidelines. It allows ACAP to allocate funding to services, facilities and student-focused initiatives that would otherwise be unsupported or unable to go ahead.

Services provided through the SSAF funding are made available to all ACAP students, and it is up to each individual student to choose their level of engagement with these services and activities.

The 2024 SSAF for ACAP is up to $326 for full-time students. The fee is charged per trimester at:

• $108.00 for full-time students (FT = study load of 0.25 EFTSL and above)
• $81.00 for part-time students (PT = a study load below 0.25 EFTSL)

 
The 2025 SSAF for ACAP will be up to $365 for full-time students. The fee is charged per trimester at:

• $121.00 for full-time students (FT = study load of 0.25 EFTSL and above)
• $91.00 for part-time students (PT = a study load below 0.25 EFTSL)

 
Liability for the SSAF is based on enrolled study load as at each census date.

The SSAF will be a compulsory charge for all students enrolled in a higher education course.

The payment date or the date that the debt is incurred for SSAF is on census date, however cannot be earlier than the last dates students are able to enrol in a course. Eligible students who wish to access SA-HELP must complete a ‘Request for SA-HELP’ on or before the date payable. Contact Student Services for more information about accessing this form. SSAF can be invoiced before census date but liability is incurred as of census date.

The maximum annual SSAF charge is determined by the government.

SA-HELP is a Commonwealth loan available to eligible students to pay their Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

Your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is not covered under FEE-HELP. However, eligible students may apply for SA-HELP to pay for all or part of the SSAF.

Check your eligibility to apply for SA-HELP.

If you are eligible, you can apply for SA-HELP by submitting a SA-HELP eCAF. To apply for SA-HELP, you will need a Tax File Number (TFN) and ‘Request for a SA-HELP loan’ form, which ACAP will provide (contact your campus Student Engagement team).
Your form must be filled in and submitted to ACAP before the census date.

You can get a SA‐HELP loan if you are enrolled in a higher education course. Find out if you are eligible for SA‐HELP at the following website: studyassist.gov.au.

You must also be, on the day the fee is payable, either:

• an Australian citizen
• a permanent humanitarian visa holder resident, or eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder in Australia
• a NZ SCV holder who meets the long‐term residency requirements

You must also:

• meet the Tax File Number requirements
• have submitted a valid SA‐HELP eCAF on or before the day the fee is payable

When you haven’t paid or deferred your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) payment, you can expect to receive reminder notifications following the SSAF payment deadline. ACAP reserves the right to withhold your grades or restrict your enrolment in future sessions if you have any unpaid SSAF fees.

Your SSAF is calculated on the unit/s you are studying for each trimester. If you drop a unit before the census date of a trimester it will not be included in calculating your SSAF.

If you are granted withdrawal without academic penalty for any units you drop after the census date of a trimester, SSAF will not be recalculated or refunded.

Enrolled students are eligible for a refund if they withdraw prior to census date. Students cannot get a SA-HELP refund once the debt is incurred.

Yes, the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) Allocation Report detailing the allocation of funds and the impact on student services and amenities is published on the website annually.

The ACAP Senior Management Team, in consultation with students and the Student-Staff Consultative Committees, will oversee the administration of the SSAF.

ACAP consults with students and their representatives about priorities for student services and amenities.

ACAP will publish identified priorities for proposed expenditure and seek feedback from all students via an annual SSAF survey. Staff will meet with the Student-Staff Consultative Committees and other interested students to consider priorities for using SSAF revenue. Students can email feedback, suggestions or questions to [email protected] or call 1800 039 139.

A student is only required to apply for SA‐HELP assistance once for a course of study.

If you change your course, you will need to submit a new SA-HELP eCAF.

Yes, students can choose to pay the fee upfront. Eligible students may pay some of the fee upfront and obtain a SA‐HELP loan for the remainder or obtain a loan for the total fee amount.

An eligible student can take out a SA‐HELP loan even if they do not wish to take out any other HELP loan. Your SA‐HELP debt becomes part of your accumulated HELP debt, appearing as a single amount on your annual HELP information statement.

If you drop a unit before the census date of a trimester, it will not be included in calculating your SSAF.

After the census date, SAE is not permitted to refund SA‐HELP debts incurred by students.

If a student receives a tuition fee refund due to special circumstances, and it is after the date payable for the SA‐HELP loan, you will have recorded a debt with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Fees paid upfront will not be refunded or recalculated after the census date.

It is not possible to remove your SA‐HELP debt once it has been incurred.

Yes, as part of its annual reporting, ACAP will publish a report on both its SSAF allocations and actual expenditure for the year within six months of the end of its annual reporting period of 30 June 2024.

Following student consultation and advice, ACAP will publish on its website the priorities and information on the student services and projects which will be funded. Details for proposed projects can be viewed here.