There are two important dates you need to know when accessing a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) and/or Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loan – the census date and the administrative date.
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Census date
A census date is the last day you can make an upfront payment, apply for a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loan, accept an offer in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) or formally withdraw from your study without getting a HELP debt or losing an upfront payment.
Be aware
A census date is required by law, but each higher education provider is responsible for setting their own census dates, so census dates vary across different courses and providers. Census dates must be published by your provider.
Check your provider’s critical dates either on their website, in your student portal, in your student handbook or by contacting your provider’s admissions and enrolment area directly.
To apply for a HELP loan you must submit an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) by the census date. eCAFs are only available from your higher education provider.
If you do not submit your eCAF on or before the census date:
- you will not be eligible to access a HELP loan for that study period
- your enrolment and subsidy (if enrolled in a CSP) will be cancelled.
Administrative date
Some providers set an extra deadline date before the census date, called an ‘administrative date’ for submitting forms or making upfront payments. Your provider may refer to this earlier deadline as something like a payment due date, an invoice due date, a fees payment date or it may not set an administrative date at all.
However, your provider must allow you to submit your HELP loan form right up until census date. Your provider cannot set an administrative date in relation to withdrawing from a unit or course.
Check with your provider to find out if they have an administrative date.