The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is a compulsory fee that students pay each semester to fund student services and amenities of a non-academic nature, such as sporting and recreational activities, employment and career advice, financial advice and food services.

All students, including international students (with the exception of the student groups listed below) enrolled in a UniSC study period will pay the SSAF.

For international students, these costs have been included within the International Tuition Fee rates. UniSC will internally transfer the SSAF amount to the Student Services and Amenities account.

In 2025 the following groups of students will not pay SSAF:

• Tertiary Preparation Pathway (TPP)
• Headstart Program
• Cross Institutional Enrolments (where UniSC is the host institution)
• Visiting students

UniSC will levy the SSAF charge according to the total enrolment load of a student.

• In 2025 the maximum SSAF is A$365

For more information on the breakdown of 2025 SSAF please refer to 2025 Schedule of Fees.

The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is due by the fee due date of each study period. Refer to the Academic Calendar for key administrative dates or generate your student invoice in USC Central to view the fee due dates, your SSAF charge and payment options.

There may be some study periods where you may not be charged SSAF, as your cumulative enrolment will be under the threshold for the next SSAF increment. For more information on the breakdown of 2025 SSAF please refer to 2025 Schedule of Fees.

To check if you have been charged SSAF for the study period please generate an invoice.

You will be able to view your SSAF charges on your student invoice in USC Central. If you change your enrolment you will need to generate a new invoice to view your amended charges.

SA-HELP Loan

Australian citizens, eligible New Zealand citizens, holders of a Permanent Humanitarian Visa and Pacific Engagement Visa holders residing in Australia are eligible for a SA-HELP loan for SSAF charges. SA-HELP is available under a HELP scheme, similar to HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP. For more information refer to SA-HELP.

Remission of SA-HELP debts after the applicable Census date are not available.

Up-front payment

All other students, including Permanent Visa holders (other than Permanent Humanitarian Visas), are required to pay the fee directly to the University on or before the due date. Refer to the Academic Calendar for key administrative dates, or generate your student invoice in USC Central to see fee due dates.

Refunds of SSAF payments will not be available for withdrawals made after the applicable Census dates.

The University allocates Student Services and Amenities Funds in accord with the guidelines. Where Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) funds are allocated to University-provided services they make a contribution component to those services.

From 2023, a SSAF Advisory Committee at UniSC has been established. The SSAF Advisory Committee is to function as a broad, representative, and consultative group of staff and student members that review SSAF allocations and applications on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic). Feedback collected through the annual consultation process will inform decisions about how SSAF funds are allocated in the following year.

All Student Services and Amenities Fee funds are used to enhance or extend student services and facilities in accordance with funding guidelines.

Consultation process and schedule for 2025 SSAF priorities

Each year, all students will be invited to provide input about the types of services and facilities that will be funded through the SSAF. Feedback collected through the annual consultation process will inform decisions about how SSAF funds are allocated in the following year.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) is responsible for determining the annual allocations of Student Services and Amenities Fees, with consideration given to existing commitments and projected revenue. The UniSC Student Guild and the Student Representative Council are the democratically elected student representative bodies of the University of the Sunshine Coast; and the Academic Registrar and Director, Student Services, is responsible for managing the consultation process with students and their representatives.

In 2024, the Student Services and Amenities Fee supported a range of services and initiatives across the University.

Highlights included:

• Delivery of major transition events including Orientation and Connect Week.
• SSAF funding subsidised onsite food offerings across all campuses through a variety of initiatives targeted to meet the needs of local student cohorts, including subsidised meals, student kitchens and snack bars.
• High Performance Student Athlete Bursary program designed to the costs associated with successfully balancing high-performance sporting commitments with higher education at UniSC.
• Continued expansion of UniSC’s Student Senate Framework.
• Regular student engagement and events/activities across all campuses.

You can find more information in the UniSC SSAF Allocation Report 2023.

Previous reports: UniSC SSAF 2022 Allocation Report.

Please direct any enquiries to SSAFapplications@usc.edu.au.