1. The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) fee was established through the Student Services and Amenities Bill 2011. The Bill amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003.
2. UNSW has determined that it will charge the Fee to all students with the following exceptions:
- Students enrolled in cross-institutional, PLuS Alliance, UNSW Online programs or exchange programs studying with UNSW (where UNSW is not the ‘home’ institution). Students on exchange or cross-institutional at another institution where their primary degree is with UNSW (the ‘home’ institution), will still be subject to the SSAF charges.
- All Defence-funded and non-Commonwealth supported students enrolled in a program at UNSW Canberra/ADFA.
Table 1 (below) provides more detail on liability.
3. The fee is levied on eligible students by the University as a contribution towards services and amenities for the whole student population. Unless explicitly exempted, all students are expected to contribute towards amenities and services. There is no provision to exempt students on the grounds of study or attendance mode (e.g. online or distance delivery; teaching hospital attendance), or that they might not personally use the services and amenities provided.
4. The SSAF maximum rate is published annually by The Department of Education & Training. Institutions can choose to charge up to that rate. The guidelines state that a student defined as part-time cannot be charged more than 75% of the maximum fee.
5. The fee is charged and payable on a term or semester basis, dependent on the student’s primary campus of study, study period model, career and study load (EFTSL).
To view the charges that may apply to you for a semester or term please refer to What you pay (above).
6. The incurral dates are set for each semester or term. All students are liable for the SSAF calculated based on their enrolment as at the incurral date for the semester or term. Incurral dates can be found on your Fee Statement each semester or term, or on this SA-HELP loan page.
7. Eligible students can elect to pay part of the full SSAF upfront to UNSW, or apply for a SA-HELP loan for the remainder or full value of the fee. If you choose to defer part or all of your fee, you are required to apply for a SA-HELP loan prior to the Incurral Date.
8. If you have elected to defer your SSAF you are still eligible to pay part or all of the liability up to the Incurral Date. After the Incurral Date has passed you can no longer make a SSAF payment to the University for that Semester or Term and must arrange payment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) directly.
9. If you successfully apply for fee remission after the SSAF Incurral Date, you cannot have your SSAF refunded or remitted.
Table 1 - SSAF liability
Program / Career | Fee / Funding Type | SSAF Liable? | Comments |
Undergraduate | Commonwealth Supported | Yes | Includes Undergraduate Commonwealth supported students at UNSW Canberra |
Postgraduate | Commonwealth Supported | Yes | |
Research | Research Training Scheme | Yes | |
Research | International | Yes | |
Undergraduate | Enabling Programs (including UPP) | Yes | |
Non-Award | Excluding Cross-Institutional | No | Cross-Institutional students where UNSW is the home institution are not exempt. |
Undergraduate | International Fee-paying | Yes | |
Postgraduate | International Fee-paying | Yes | |
Postgraduate | Postgraduate Domestic Fee-paying | Yes | |
Undergraduate | Undergraduate Fee-paying | Yes | |
Unless specified above, all students at UNSW Canberra are exempt from the SSAF charges. |