Full and Part Time Study
Full Time Study
Full time study is when a student enrols in the 'normal full time’ load of subjects or units that make up a course. Many tertiary institutions consider this to be the minimum amount of subjects that a student must undertake in order to complete their course within the minimum time frame. This load can vary from course to course and between tertiary institutions.
The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) defines full time study as 75 percent of the load of subjects or units that a student is required to study in any given calendar year.
The definition of full time study by Centrelink is quite flexible due to the different range and structure of tertiary courses. In certain circumstances Centrelink may consider full time study to constitute 15 hours of face to face learning per week. Depending on the nature of the disability Centrelink may also deem a student that is studying 25 percent of the 'normal full time' load of subjects or units to be a full time student if their disability prevents them being able to study a heavier load. Full time study can be undertaken by internal, external, online and mixed modes of study.
Refer to Worksheet 2 - Finding a course that is right for you (worksheet 2 as text 27KB or worksheet 2 as PDF 85 KB) to identify questions to ask a course coordinator.
Part Time Study
Part time study is very popular among mature age students who often need to balance family and work commitments. This form of study is when a student enrols in less than 75 percent of the 'normal full time’ load of subjects or units that make up a course. The number of subjects or units that is undertaken while studying part time is dependent upon the course or program. Students who study part time will take longer to finish their course than the recommended minimum timeframe as they are studying fewer subjects per semester than a full time student. Part time study can be undertaken by internal, external, online and mixed modes of study.
Refer to Worksheet 4 - Understanding your study requirements (worksheet 4 as text 63KB or worksheet 4 as PDF 94KB) to assess the impact of your disability on your course of study.