Financial Assistance

In pre-COVID-19 times, UniSA’s International Office awarded travel grants for students on approved international mobility programs (UI Travel Grants). Stay tuned to find out when these grants might be reinstated.

If UniSA Travel Grants do get reinstated, each application will be automatically assessed for a UniSA International Travel Grant. Students are assessed for the grant at the point of application for any given Global Opportunities program and advised of their eligibility for the grant alongside the outcome of their overall Global Opportunities application.

There are a few more funding options besides the UniSA International travel grant, and you should make sure you do your own research to find any potential grants and scholarships, so you don’t miss out!

Other funding options could include:

• Students going to Asia and the Indo-Pacific region may be eligible for New Colombo Plan grants from the Australian Government
• Students from certain programs or backgrounds, or going to certain destinations, might be eligible for other scholarships and grants. Some of these are internal to UniSA, and others are offered by external sources like Host Universities or Host Governments. Check out the Funding and Scholarships pages for Semester Exchange  or Short-term Opportunities for more information

If you’re an Australian domestic student, you may be eligible for an OS-HELP loan. OS-HELP is a Government loan that assists eligible students to study overseas on credit-bearing programs.

The money is paid directly to your nominated bank account and can be used for airfares, accommodation, or other costs.  The OS-HELP debts are added to your accumulated HELP debt (including HECS or HECS-HELP debts). See the OS-Help website for the latest information, such as how much OS-HELP you can receive.

You can apply for a maximum of two loans over your lifetime, but they cannot be within the same six-month period. Students can apply for back-to-back loans, but payments will not be released within the six-month period.

To be eligible:

• You must be enrolled in a commonwealth supported place
• You must be studying full-time while overseas
• You must have completed enough courses to count for one full-time year of study (36 units) before you leave (1 EFTSL is the technical definition)
• You must have at least one subject to complete when you return from studying overseas
• Your overseas study must count toward your Australian degree. This means that you must have received credit approval for what you plan to study overseas, or must be meeting a compulsory program requirement, in order to qualify to get the money

Apply for OS-HELP through the MyScholarships link in your MyUniSA student portal and go to the Australian Government’s OS-Help loans and Study Overseas page for further details. You don’t need your letter of acceptance from your Host Institution before applying for the OS-HELP loan through MyScholarships, but you’ll need to show evidence of approval/acceptance and potentially meet other pre-departure requirements before payment is made into your bank account.

UniSA Student Finance will assess your eligibility for an OS-HELP loan no earlier than six months before the commencement of your Global Opportunities option.

All questions about OS-HELP should be directed to UniSA Student Finance: StudentFinance.Enrolment@unisa.edu.au

If you receive benefits from Centrelink, you may still be eligible to receive them while overseas – contact your Centrelink Officer for eligibility information. Don’t assume that your payments will continue while you’re offshore. Payments can be cut-off once Centrelink is made aware that you’ve left the country. It’s your responsibility to understand the rules and regulations of Centrelink.

If you aren’t currently eligible, check with Centrelink as you may be eligible to receive some kind of benefits during your period of overseas study.

After receiving formal acceptance into your chosen program, you’ll be able to request a letter confirming the details of your overseas study to provide to Centrelink. It is your responsibility to inform Centrelink of any changes.

For enquiries regarding your payments while you are overseas, go to Services Australia: Payments for students and trainees

Telephone: 131673 if you are calling from Australia. Free call numbers if you are calling from outside Australia can be found here for Services Australia.

ISIC is the only internationally accepted proof of student status. This card accesses a world–wide network of specialist student travel offices offering you savings on accommodation, tours, and transportation. Go to the ISIC web site to find the closest travel agent offering ‘The Card’ or order it online.