Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP)
The Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) is a government program that offers eligible nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students financial support while undertaking mandatory placements. This support will enable them to gain practical experience and develop professional competence without feeling financial stress.
Amount
Receive $331.65 per week
When
Effective from 1 July 2025
How to apply
The online application portal is coming soon
The Australian Government is still in the process of finalising the finer details of the CPP program. The information provided below therefore is a guide and subject to change without notice pending receipt of the final program details from the Australian Government.
The payments will be available from 1 July 2025.
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- be a domestic student enrolled in a Commonwealth-supported place (CSP),
- completing an eligible course in teaching, social work, nursing, or midwifery (see eligible courses)
- be undertaking eligible placement units (see eligible placement units)
And
- receive an eligible Commonwealth income support payment (ISP), or
- meet the criteria of both the:
- The Need To Work Test, and
- The Income Test
Eligible courses
Bachelor of Education (Graduate Entry)
Bachelor of Education Birth To Five Years
Bachelor of Education Early Childhood Teaching
Bachelor of Education In Early Childhood Teaching (Birth-12 Years)
Bachelor of Education Primary
Bachelor of Education Secondary
Bachelor of Midwifery
Bachelor of Nursing
Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Teaching And Learning (Preservice)
Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
Master of Teaching
Master of Teaching Birth To Five Years
Master of Teaching Early Childhood
Master of Teaching Primary
Master of Teaching Secondary
Eligible units
Nursing
- NUR134 Professional Experience Placement 1
- NUR257 Professional Experience Placement 2
- NUR258 Mental Health (Theory and Placement 3)
- NUR370 Professional Experience Placement 4
- NUR410 Professional Experience Placement 5
- NUR533 Practice Experience 1
- NUR537 Practice Experience 2
- NUR541 Practice Experience 3
- NUR600 Practice Experience 4
Midwifery
- MID111 Midwifery Practice 1: Preparation for Midwifery Practice
- MID121 Midwifery Practice 2: Being With Women
- MID211 Midwifery Practice 3: Complex Pregnancy
- MID221 Midwifery Practice 4: Complex Labour, Birth, Postpartum and the Compromised Newborn
- MID301 Women's Health
- MID303 Professional Midwifery Practice 3
- MID306 Professional Midwifery Practice 4
- MID306 Professional Midwifery Practice 4
- MID307 Specialist Neonatal Care
- MID311 Midwifery Practice 5: Managing Emergencies
- MID421 Midwifery Practice 6: Becoming a Midwife
Teaching
- EPE102 Professional Experience: Planning for Early Childhood Learning
- EPE111 Professional Experience: Planning for Learner Development
- EPE211 Professional Experience: Planning for Learning and Assessment
- EPE312 Professional Experience: Engaging in Evidence-Based Practice
- EPE314 Professional Experience: Learning for All
- EPE500 Professional Experience: Pedagogical Leadership
- EPE501 Early Childhood Professional Experience 1
- EPE502 Early Childhood Professional Experience 2
- EPE520 Developmental Learning and Pedagogy
- EPE528 Primary Professional Experience 1
- EPE529 Secondary Professional Experience 1
- EPE635 Professional Experience: Assessment for Graduate Teachers
- EPR211 Professional Experience: Planning for Learning and Assessment
- EPR220 Primary Professional Experience 1
- EPR301 Professional Experience 4: Classroom Ready
- EPR321 Secondary Professional Education 1
- EPR330 Primary Professional Experience 2
- EPR401 Professional Experience: Assessment for Graduate Teachers
Social Work
- SWK230 Field Education A
- SWK320 Field Education A
- SWK420 Field Education B
- SWK470 Field Education B
- SWK530 Field Education A
- SWK631 Field Education B
How to apply
Our application portal is still under construction, and we are awaiting the finalisation of the government guidelines of the CPP program.
When our application portal is open, eligible students will be able to apply online once they have enrolled in an eligible unit.
Payment information
Successful applicants will receive payments every fortnight after the commencement of their placements (no prior to 1 July 2025).
Students will be required to provide their bank details on MyStudentInfo - under the 'Finance' tab.
For more information, visit the Department of Education’s website on Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) To confirm your eligibility, please contact CDU Scholarships.
FAQs
What type of income support payments (ISP) are eligible for CPP?
The following payments are considered to be ISPs for the purposes of CPP eligibility:
Centrelink ISP:
- Age Pension
- Austudy
- Carer Payment
- Disability Support Pension
- JobSeeker Payment
- Parenting Payment
- Special Benefit
- Farm Household Allowance
- Youth Allowance
DVA payments:
- Age Pension
- Income Support Supplement
- Service Pension
- Veteran Payment
- Education Allowance
ABSTUDY
- ABSTUDY Living Allowance
I receive an Income Support Payment (ISP). What evidence do I need to submit?
Acceptable evidence of receipt of ISP and ABSTUDY paid by Centrelink can be obtained by the applicant using the Centrelink Online Services ‘request document’ functionality. Please see the instructions on 'How to Request a Document Online'.
For ISPs issued by the DVA, acceptable evidence includes a DVA Payment Summary or a General Statement of Pension.
What are the requirements of the 'Income test'?
To meet the income test, applicants must provide evidence demonstrating their gross (pre-tax) income does not exceed $6,000 over the same continuous four-week period as the need to work test. ($1,500 per week on average, pre-tax).
You will need to supply documentation to prove this, such as a payslip.
What are the requirements of the 'Need to Work' test?
To meet the need to work test, you will need to show that you have worked for four (4) weeks immediately before you apply, or immediately before your placement starts, depending on when you apply.
You must be able to show you have worked 60 hours across those four weeks, averaging 15 hours per week.
I commenced an eligible placement unit prior to 1 July 2025. Am I eligible for a CPP?
The CPP program begins on 1 July 2025, and is not retrospective. This means you will not be paid for any eligible placement unit hours completed before 1 July 2025.
If your placement began before 1 July 2025, and continues afterwards, you will get paid for the portion that is happening after 1 July 2025. The scholarships team will provide a payment schedule if you are deemed eligible to show your eligible payments.
How many times do I need to apply for my placement units?
You will need to submit separate applications for each eligible placement unit that you enrol for.
Do I need to report my CPP payment to the Government?
If you get an income support payment from Services Australia, you must tell them you’re going to get the CPP. You should do this as soon as you know the dates of your placement.
You will also need to report the CPP to the Australian Taxation Office as part of your annual tax return. You will receive a statement at the end of the financial year to assist you in reporting this to the ATO.
I do not receive any income support payments and earn higher than 'Need to Work' requirements. Can I be considered for CPP?
In certain circumstances, applications may be considered under exceptional circumstances. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Appropriate evidence of exceptional circumstance must be provided with the application. A successful outcome cannot be guaranteed.