Student Services and Amenities Fee

The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is a semesterly fee that supports student services and amenities at RMIT.

What is SSAF?

The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is a compulsory semesterly fee charged by most Australian universities. SSAF pays for non-academic services and amenities that don’t relate directly to your program – everything from clubs to career advisors. Check out what SSAF pays for at RMIT below. 

What does SSAF pay for?

SSAF funds a wide range of online and face-to-face services and amenities:

RMIT departments and RUSU can also put forward project and activity proposals for SSAF funding. These are reviewed by the Student Experience Advisory Group (SEAG) (PDF, 214KB) to ensure they meet all SSAF funding guidelines, and approved by the SSAF Steering Committee (PDF, 214KB).
 
RMIT ensures that all SSAF funding is spent in line with the Australian Government SSAF Administration Guidelines.
 
The guidelines state that institutions can only spend SSAF on the provision of the services that fall under the 19 allowable items. Providers can choose to deliver the services and amenities themselves or contract a third party to deliver the services and amenities on the providers' behalf.
 
Want to find out more? Download the latest SSAF Allocation and Expenditure Report below, which includes details of actual SSAF allocation and expenditure.

Who decides what SSAF is spent on?

Your voice helps inform how your SSAF supports student life outside of the classroom at RMIT. As part of the student consultation process, RMIT students who pay SSAF are encouraged to complete the biennial "Have Your Say: SSAF poll". This poll allows students to provide feedback on which SSAF-funded services and activities are important to them and how they want the SSAF funds to be allocated. The poll results are then used to inform funding decisions.

RMIT also engages with democratically elected student representatives and representatives from major student organisations regarding the specific uses of proceeds from SSAF. These include RUSU, strategic advisory groups and committees, and student focus groups.

For more information, download the SSAF Annual Student Consultation Process (PDF, 330KB)

A student holds a box of doughnuts at an RMIT event.

Have Your Say Form

We want every student to share their thoughts and help make the student experience at RMIT the best it can be. Let us know your thoughts and ideas.

Thanks SSAF logo.

Thanks SSAF

Look out for the Thanks SSAF logo on webpages and at events. If you see the logo, it means the service or event was funded, in part or in full, by SSAF.

Who pays SSAF?

Any student who is studying an RMIT coursework program in Australia or online (including RMIT Online), and who is charged tuition fees by RMIT, will also be charged SSAF based on their enrolment.

This includes students studying in the Free TAFE initiative, and outbound exchange students who remain enrolled at RMIT.

Domestic research students commencing in 2021 or later are also charged SSAF.

If you’re unsure about whether you are required to pay the fee, please view your student invoice or your online account in Enrolment Online.

How much does SSAF cost?

How much you pay in SSAF will depend on how many courses (subjects) you take each semester. SSAF rates are determined by the Australian Government and set on an annual basis.

In 2025, SSAF will be charged each semester at the following rates.

Higher education and Foundation Studies students

You will be charged on a pro-rata basis each semester at the rate per credit point for each course you are enrolled in, up to the annual maximum for the year. 

Year Maximum annual SSAF SSAF rate per cedit point
2025 $365 $3.81
Students perform a dance on campus.
Students gather to watch an event on campus.
Students craft together at the City Campus.
  • If you are a local higher education student, you may be eligible for the SA-HELP loan scheme that allows you to defer paying the cost of the SSAF upfront.  Find out more about SA-HELP 

Vocational education students

  • You will be charged on a pro-rata basis each semester at the rate per nominal hour for each course you are enrolled in, up to the annual maximum for the year. 
  • If you are a vocational education student and you are eligible for a concession on your tuition fees, you are also eligible for a concession on the SSAF. 
Year Maximum annual SSAF SSAF rate per nominal hour (no concession) SSAF rate per nominal hour (with concession)
2025 $365 $0.51 $0.10

If you change your enrolment before census date, this will affect the amount of SSAF you are charged for that semester. If you have already paid your SSAF for that semester, and your SSAF amount decreases because you drop a course or take a leave of absence before census date, you can apply for a fee refund.

If you change your enrolment after census date, you will remain liable for your SSAF fee and SA-HELP for that semester.

When do I pay my SSAF?

The due date for SSAF is the same as for your course fees. 

If you are enrolled in courses in a standard semester, your SSAF and course fees will generally be due on the semester census date (see table below for 2025 census dates). You can also find your due date listed in Enrolment Online and on your invoice.

Cohort Semester Census date
Higher education (Undergraduate and postgraduate) students Summer semester 2024-2025 12 January 2025
Semester 1 2025 31 March 2025
Semester 2 2025 31 August 2025
Spring semester 2025 6 December 2025
Vocational education (TAFE) students Semester 1 2025 31 March 2025
Semester 2 2025 31 July 2025

If you are enrolled in a flexible term, your SSAF will be calculated at the point you enrol and your SSAF due date will be listed in Enrolment Online and on your invoice.

How do I pay my SSAF?

See your invoice for fee payment methods and due dates. 

You are required to pay SSAF in full by the due date on your invoice, or apply to defer payment with SA-HELP (if you are eligible) by the census date for that semester.

On your invoice, SSAF and course fees are listed separately so you can easily see how much each costs.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.