Please refer to Services Australia (Centrelink) directly for advice about your eligibility for Austudy, Youth Allowance or other Centrelink payments and supports while studying.
To receive Austudy, you generally need to be studying an approved course with an approved education provider and meet the other eligibility requirements. Services Australia advises that approved higher education courses include eligible courses offered by approved higher education providers. You do not need to take out a HELP loan to qualify for a student payment.
The Cairnmillar Institute is an approved higher education provider and a registered FEE-HELP provider. We can provide a Proof of Enrolment/Letter of Enrolment for Centrelink upon request.
For more information about requesting a letter of enrolment, please see:
I need a letter of enrolment for Centrelink, AHPRA or other purposes
If you are otherwise eligible and meet Services Australia’s requirements for full-time study, the following Cairnmillar higher education courses are currently approved for student payments such as Austudy:
- Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling
- Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
- Graduate Certificate of Psychological Science
- Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Master of Professional Psychology
- Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology)
The three Cairnmillar master’s courses listed above are specifically included in Schedule 3 of the Student Assistance (Education Institutions and Courses) Determination 2019, which identifies approved master’s courses for student payments.
Please note that approval of a course does not by itself guarantee eligibility for Austudy. Students must also satisfy Services Australia’s other eligibility requirements, including applicable age, residency, income/assets and study-load requirements.
For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the Services Australia page:
Approved courses and education providers – Austudy
Students can also contact Services Australia on 132 490 (Youth and students line) for advice about their individual circumstances.
Approval of Masters Courses for Student Payments
Student payments, including Youth Allowance, Austudy, ABSTUDY and Pensioner Education Supplement, are subject to government eligibility requirements.
To receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or Pensioner Education Supplement as a student, you must generally be studying an approved course with an approved education provider. Services Australia maintains information about approved courses and education providers and provides the current eligibility requirements for each payment.
There are additional rules for master’s courses. Not all master’s courses are automatically approved for student payments. The Australian Government has legislated criteria that determine which master’s courses can be approved for these purposes.
Accordingly, students should not assume that enrolment in a master’s course automatically makes them eligible for a student payment. Eligibility can depend on the particular course, the student’s study load and the other requirements for the relevant payment. For Austudy, for example, most students need to be studying at least 75% of the course’s full-time study load to be considered full-time.
Students should check the current Services Australia information and contact Centrelink directly to confirm whether their particular course and circumstances meet the requirements for Austudy, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or another student payment.
See:
- Approved courses and education providers – Services Australia
- Who can get Austudy – Services Australia
Centrelink for DPsych
The Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) is a doctoral-level course. Eligibility for Centrelink student payments depends on the particular payment and the applicable course approval and eligibility requirements. Students undertaking the Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) should contact Services Australia (Centrelink) directly to confirm whether they are eligible for Austudy, ABSTUDY or another student payment based on their course and individual circumstances.
Centrelink for MCP(PostReg)
The Master of Clinical Psychology (Post Registration) is a post-registration program designed to upskill working professionals. Students considering or undertaking the Master of Clinical Psychology (Post Registration) should contact Services Australia (Centrelink) directly to confirm whether the course is approved for their particular payment and whether they meet the other eligibility requirements.
Updated: 16/09/2026