Student health care providers and teachers receive a financial boost from today with prac payments kicking in.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare said eligible nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students were now able to receive $331.65 per week while doing the mandatory prac placements as part of their degree.
Minister Clare said the payment, which had been benchmarked to the single Austudy per week rate, would provide cost-of-living relief for around 68,000 eligible higher education students and more than 5000 VET students each year.
He said newly published grant guidelines would make sure the Commonwealth Prac Payment was fair and accessible to eligible students.
“This includes students who may face additional challenges due to disability, health, or acute family circumstances and life events.”
Minister Clare said university students would be able to apply for the Prac Payment through their higher education providers, while TAFE students enrolled in a Diploma of Nursing would have their payment administered directly by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
“This will give people who have signed up to do some of the most important jobs in this country a bit of extra help to get the qualifications they need.
“Placement poverty is a real thing. I have met students who told me they can afford to go to uni, but they can’t afford to do the prac.
“Some students say prac means they have to give up their part-time job, and that they don’t have the money to pay the bills.”
