Pass rate requirements for continued access to Commonwealth Assistance

Important update: Removal of pass rate requirements from 2024

Recent changes to legislation mean that from 1 January 2024, the Australian Government's former 50 percent pass rate requirements are no longer in place. You can find out more about the removal of the 50 percent pass rate requirement on the Australian Government’s website.

If you have questions about how this impacts you, please contact Student Central.

From 2022, if you are a commencing student in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) or getting a HELP loan for your study, you must maintain a passing completion rate as defined under the Australian Government’s Job-ready Graduates requirements.

This applies to you if you are a new USC student, or if you are changing from one USC program to another.

The pass rate requirements can impact your future study, so it is important to understand the information below.

If you are enrolled in a bachelor’s degree or postgraduate program

Once you have attempted eight courses, you will need to have passed a minimum of 50 percent of your total attempted courses. You will then need to maintain this minimum 50 percent pass rate for the remaining duration of your program to remain eligible for Commonwealth assistance.

If you are enrolled in TPP, an undergraduate certificate, a diploma or an associate degree

Once you have attempted four courses, you will need to have passed a minimum of 50 percent of your total attempted courses. You will then need to maintain this minimum 50 percent pass rate for the remaining duration of your program to remain eligible for Commonwealth assistance.

How your pass rate is calculated

Your pass rate is only assessed after you attempt either four or eight courses, depending on your program (see information above). It is then progressively calculated as you progress through your program.

If you are enrolled in a course past census date, you are considered to have attempted the course for the purposes of calculating your pass rate, even if you later withdraw without academic penalty (WN grade). A WN grade does not impact your GPA, but is considered a fail under pass rate requirements.

For examples of pass rates, please see the table below:

Courses attempted	Courses passed	Courses failed	Pass rate
4	2	2	50 percent
8	4	4	50 percent
9	4	5	45 percent
10	4	6	40 percent

If you do not meet the minimum pass rate requirement

If you do not maintain the minimum pass rate requirements outlined above, you will no longer be eligible for Commonwealth assistance. You can remain enrolled in your program, however you will lose your Commonwealth Supported Place and/or will no longer be eligible for a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan. This means you will be required to pay full tuition fees upfront until you are at or above the 50 percent pass rate requirement.

If you fail a course

Any time you fail a course, it’s important to speak with the Student Success team about strategies to improve your results in future.

If you fail a course due to special or unforeseen circumstances, you may apply to have financial liability and/or academic penalty removed. You must apply as soon as you are aware of your circumstances and provide supporting documentation addressing that the special circumstances:

were beyond your control; and
did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date; and
made it impracticable for you to complete or pass the course.

For more information visit Application for Withdrawal from Course Due to Special Circumstances.

If your application is successful, the course/s for which you applied will not be included in the calculation of your pass rate.

Withdrawing from a course after census date

If you:

withdraw from a course after census date
have received a Withdrawn Without Penalty (WN) or Withdrawn Fail (WF) final notation on your academic record, and
can demonstrate that you withdrew from the course due to special circumstances as per the criteria specified above,

you can apply to have financial liability and/or academic penalty removed. You must apply as soon as you are aware of your circumstances and provide supporting documentation. For more information visit Application for Withdrawal from Course Due to Special Circumstances. Please note it is not possible to remove a SA-HELP debt, even if your HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP debt are removed due to special circumstances.

If your application is successful, the course/s for which you applied will not be included in the calculation of your pass rate.