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Support for those impacted by COVID-19

The Australian Government’s Higher Education Relief Package is designed to assist workers who have been displaced as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and are looking to upskill or retrain. Supports include:

  • discounted student courses fee for short online courses (Undergraduate Certificates and Graduate Certificates) in fields of national priority such as teaching, health, science, and information technology that are offered from May 2020
  • exemptions from loan fees under FEE-HELP and VET Student Loans are available.

For further information read the Department Education, Skills and Employment’s higher education FAQ.

View discounted short courses on Course Seeker.

Information about other key Government initiatives supporting Australian higher education can be found at StudyAssist.

Help with living expenses

You can apply for payments to assist with living expenses while you are studying:

  • Youth Allowance - a payment for full-time students and Australian apprentices aged 16 to 24 years old.
  • Austudy - a payment for full-time students and Australian apprentices aged 25 years and older.
  • ABSTUDY - a living allowance payment plus a range of extra benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and apprentices.

Higher education students receiving student payments could also be eligible for the Student Start-up Loan and/or the Relocation Scholarship.

Use Services Australia’s Payment and Service Finder to see which payment(s) you could get while you study. You can also check Services Australia's guide to payments.