Other expenses

It's rewarding to study what you love - but it can also be expensive. So that you can budget accordingly, here's a list of other expenses you may have to pay on top of your tuition fees.

Meet the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

What is the SSAF?

The student services and amenities fee (SSAF) helps fund your non-academic services and amenities, including services such as:

• Student advocacy
• Campus amenities
• National clubs and societies

A full list of how we reinvest the SSAF back to you is available on this page.

How much is it?

2024 SSAF Schedule

Full-time students: $175 per half year ($350 annually)

Part-time students: $131 per half year ($262 annually)

ACU Online students enrolled in 10 credit points or less: $65 flat rate per study period

ACU Online students enrolled in more than 10 credit points: $87 flat rate per study period

How do I pay it?

For domestic students, the SSAF will be charged along with your tuition fees and will be displayed on your tuition fee invoice.

For further information regarding tuition fee invoice dates, as well as payment due dates, visit the enrolments and fee dates page.

When is it due?

SSAF fees are due in line with the fee due dates listed on the enrolments and fee dates page.

* Students may be liable for the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) if withdrawing after the Census Date.

Can I defer the SSAF?

You could be eligible to apply for SSAF deferment through the SA-HELP scheme.

Learn more about financing your studies

What if I'm an international student?

If you're an overseas student paying a full international tuition fee, the SSAF will be included in your fees.

Do other universities charge the SSAF?

All Australian universities are able to charge a student services fee to help cover the costs of non-academic services and facilities.

We distribute the SSAF according to guidelines set by the Commonwealth Government.

Understand other expenses

Investing the SSAF in you

How we invest the SSAF

We charge and administer the SSAF according to the Commonwealth Government's legislation and guidelines.

To read more about these guidelines, visit the Department of Education and Training's SSAF website

How your voice is heard

It's important to us that we consult our students on priorities for SSAF expenditure and its budget, and to be as transparent as we can.

This is done annually through a student survey, as well as elected student representatives from the ACU National Student Association. We welcome feedback from other student groups too.

Keep an eye out for an announcement for the next student survey in your student email. You can also reach out to your local student association representative.

Visit our student associations page for contact details

Track how your money is spent

We post recent survey results in the Student Portal for current students to read and provide feedback.

We also provide cost breakdowns below of how we are investing the SSAF back into our students, as well as details about funded facilities, services and activities. 

What we can spend the SSAF on

Under Government guidelines, SSAF funds may be spent on activities of a non-academic nature, such as:

• providing food or drink to students on a campus of the higher education provider;
• supporting a sporting or other recreational activity by students;
• supporting the administration of a club most of whose members are students;
• caring for children of students;
• providing legal services to students;
• promoting the health or welfare of students;
• helping students secure accommodation;
• helping students obtain employment or advice on careers;
• helping students with their financial affairs;
• helping students obtain insurance against personal accidents;
• supporting debating by students;
• providing libraries and reading rooms (other than those provided for academic purposes) for students;
• supporting an artistic activity by students;
• supporting the production and dissemination to students of media whose content is provided by students;
• helping students develop skills for study, by means other than undertaking *courses of study in which they are enrolled;
• advising on matters arising under the higher education provider’s rules (however described);
• advocating students’ interests in matters arising under the higher education provider’s rules (however described);
• giving students information to help them in their orientation;
• helping meet the specific needs of *overseas students relating to their welfare, accommodation and employment.

Prioritising SSAF funds

Estimated SSAF 2024

The estimated SSAF to be collected in 2024 is:
$8,180,001

*Note: this estimated amount is subject to change pending actual student enrolments.

2024 Priorities

The top 5 priority areas for students in 2022 and 2023 were: 

• sexual harm (prevention and support)
• disability services
• health and safety
• counselling
• careers

SSAF budget allocation for 2024