Since January 2012, Australian universities have charged a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) to support non-academic services. The SSAF helps fund initiatives such as recreation, employment support, financial and legal advice, childcare, and food services. It was introduced through the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Act 2011, passed by the Australian Parliament in October 2011.
Under legislation, the Student Services and Amenities Fee can only be used to support services and amenities that directly benefit students. These include:
legal services
health and wellbeing support
career advice and employment assistance
financial guidance
personal accident insurance
student-led media production and distribution
study skills development (outside enrolled coursework)
advice and advocacy under university rules
orientation programs
support for international students’ welfare, accommodation and employment
on-campus food and drink services
student sport and recreation
student clubs and societies
childcare services
help with finding accommodation
debating activities
libraries and reading rooms (non-academic)
artistic activities.
Many SSAF-funded services are also now available online, so you can access support without needing to come to campus, including:
academic support – online self-help resources and 24/7 support
| Program of study | Charged SSAF | |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled in a non-online award program (e.g. on campus) | Yes | |
| Enrolled in a fully online award program | Yes (50%) | |
| Enrolled in Foundation Studies or Diploma at AU College | No | |
| Enrolled in a non-award, audit, or cross institutional course or enabling | No | |
| Enrolled in a research program | No | |
| Enrolled in a UniStart program (studying online) | No | |
| Enrolled through Open Universities Australia (OUA) | No | |
| Enrolled through SAIBT or CELUSA | No | |
| Enrolled in a short program | No | |
| Program of study | Charged SSAF |
|---|---|
| Incoming exchange | No |
| Enrolled through SAIBT or CELUSA | No |
| All other programs | No |
| Program of Study | Charges SSAF |
|---|---|
| All programs | No |
Refer to the table below to see how SSAF is calculated. The SSAF is indexed annually. SSAF is charged based on enrolment load at each Census Date.
| Program of study | Definition | First SSAF charge | Top-up SSAF charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-online award program | Enrolled in an award program where mode is not 100% online; e.g. on campus | $279 | $94 | First SSAF charge applies at first enrolment in the year. Top-up fee applies if study load increases to 75% (36 units) or more later in the year |
| Fully online award program | Enrolled in an award program where mode = 100% online | $139 | $47.50 | First SSAF charge applies at first enrolment in the year. Top-up fee applies if study load increases to 75% (36 units) or more later in the year |
Your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is based on your total study load across the calendar year. Here’s how it works:
Example 1: Increasing study load over time
Study Period 1: You enrol in 12 units. SSAF charge = $279.
Study Period 2: You add 18 more units (total 30 units). No additional SSAF is charged because your total study load is still below 75% of a full-time load.
Study Period 3: You add 6 more units (total 36 units). A top-up SSAF of $94 is charged because your total study load has reached 75% of a full-time load.
Study Period 4: You add 12 more units (total 48 units). No further SSAF is charged because you’ve already reached the 75% threshold.
Example 2: Reducing study load after SSAF has been charged
If your enrolment changes during the year, your SSAF may be adjusted.
If you withdraw from the 30 units enrolled in Study Periods 1 and 2, your total study load drops to 18 units (6 in Study Period 3 and 12 in Study Period 4). The $94 top-up SSAF will be reversed because your total load is now below 75%.
If you only withdraw from Study Period 1 (12 units), your total study load remains at 36 units (from Study Periods 2, 3 and 4). The $279 and $94 SSAF charges will still apply.
The Student Services and Amenities Fee is due on the census date of the study period. You can check census dates in the academic calendar.
Your Student Services and Amenities Fee will appear on your invoice. You’ll find payment instructions at the bottom of the invoice.
After the Census Date for each study period, the SSAF is non-refundable. Under the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003, universities are not permitted to cancel or remit SA-HELP debts once they have been incurred. This means any SA-HELP debt incurred at the Census Date will remain.
The Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Act 2011 introduced SA-HELP, a loan scheme that allows eligible students to defer all or part of their SSAF. For more details visit Study Assist’s SA-HELP page.
