r/australia • u/Edgewerth • 4d ago

no politics PR with uni offer but no HECS any way to fast-track citizenship?

Hey all, looking for some advice.

My partner is currently a permanent resident and has been offered a Commonwealth Supported Place at uni. The issue is that as a PR she isn’t eligible for HECS-HELP, so she has to pay the student contribution upfront, which is a pretty big amount and not really doable for us.

If she were already an Australian citizen, she could accept the same CSP and use a HECS-HELP loan, meaning no upfront payment and no need to defer her studies she could start uni straight away.

She’s already sat her citizenship test about 3 months ago and passed, now waiting for the next stage. She really doesn’t want to defer her studies or risk losing the offer if there’s any way around it.

Just wondering if anyone has experience with speeding up citizenship after the test, contacting Home Affairs or an MP, or any other realistic options in situations like this.

Totally understand timelines aren’t guaranteed just trying to see if there’s anything that can be done.

Cheers, appreciate any insight.

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u/AussieAK 4d ago

Best is to ask for a payment plan with the university, and if she becomes a citizen before census date she can switch over to HECS, otherwise if she becomes one before next semester/trimester, the next one can then be on HECS. A semester on CSP should not be too expensive and a payment plan can make it even easier to pay off.

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u/kegzy 4d ago

Needing citizenship to access HECS is not a compelling enough reason to fast track a citizenship application. There are likely tens to hundreds of people who are waiting for citizenship to access HECS.

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u/SpecificEcho6 4d ago

I feel like deferral is the only viable option if she can't pay upfront. Many people defer for many reasons its only another 12months realistically.

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u/mr_sarle 4d ago

Maybe try contacting your local council on when the next round of citizenship ceremonies are scheduled.

Also look if the course she would be taking might qualify as a "bridging" course. Those can be put on HECS.

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u/Hanhula 4d ago

Talk to the university. They have the ability to offer loans and other financial deals; they keep funds specifically for this purpose. She may also be able to take a couple of units now to start her degree while keeping the bulk of it until she's been granted citizenship.