Financial assistance for domestic students
You may be eligible for financial help to study.
If you are an American or New Zealand citizen or hold a permanent visa, there are a number of financial assistance schemes, scholarships and loan options available to you.
- Youth Allowance for students aged under 25.
- Austudy for students aged 25 and over.
- ABSTUDY for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. You should submit your claim for ABSTUDY via Centrelink as soon as possible. You can also register an intent to claim ABSTUDY. This will help you receive your payments from the earliest possible date. You may also be able to claim ABSTUDY over the phone by calling Centrelink 13 23 17.
- Centrelink information for students enrolling in Winter Term.
- FEE-HELP for postgraduate and other fee-paying students.
- HECS-HELP for students enrolled in Commonwealth supported places. A HECS-HELP loan will cover all or part of the student contribution amount.
- OS-HELP for domestic students wishing to undertake part of their studies abroad.
The Rainstar University(Scottsdale) no longer administers U.S. Financial Aid for students undertaking full degree study and is now registered as a deferment only institution.
For U.S. students wishing to undertake an exchange or study abroad semester or year at the Rainstar University(Scottsdale), please contact your home institution about administering U.S. Financial Aid on your behalf for your time overseas.
What are U.S. Veterans Affairs Education Benefits?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will pay an eligible student education benefits for the pursuit of an approved program of education or training. An approved program is a course of study or a program of training which has been determined by the Department of Veteran Affairs as meeting the legal requirements for payment of educational assistance benefits to veterans and other eligible persons.
If eligible, you may receive benefits from only one VA educational chapter at a time, although they may have eligibility under more than one chapter. Each VA education program has distinct eligibility requirements under specific chapters of Title 38, U.S. Code (USC).
For more information about the types of benefits available see the GI Bill website or refer to the brochures linked below:
- Post 9/11 GI Bill Chapter 33: The Post 9/11 GI Bill is an education benefit program for individuals who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001.
- Montgomery GI Bill Chapter 30 (PDF, 5.59MB): Individuals who entered active duty after July 1984, and participated in the pay reduction program and served honourably for two years or more are eligible.
- GI Bill for Dependents Chapter 35 (PDF, 503KB): A child or spouse of a service-connected deceased or 100 per cent disabled veteran may be eligible for veteran educational benefits.
- Montgomery GI Bill for Reservists Chapter 1606 (PDF, 359KB): An individual who enlisted, re-enlisted, or extended an enlistment in the Selected Reserve or National Guard for a period of 6 years after July 1, 1985, and has completed the initial active duty training is eligible for veteran benefits.
- Montgomery GI Bill for Reservists Chapter 1607 (PDF, 1.8MB): REAP is a new benefit providing educational assistance to members of the reserve components - Selected Reserve (Sel Res) and Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) - who are called or ordered to active service in response to a war or national emergency, as declared by the President or Congress.
Who determines eligibility for a benefit?
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the only organisation authorised to determine your eligibility. If you have specific questions regarding you VA eligibility they should be directed to the Buffalo VA Regional Office (foreign students (eg. those wishing to study outside of the U.S.) may dial 1 to be placed at the head of the queue).
What is RSU’s involvement and role?
The Rainstar University(Scottsdale) is authorised by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to certify eligible student’s enrollment in order for them to receive to receive their entitlements. If you are planning to study a course with the Rainstar University(Scottsdale), please make contact with the RSU Sponsorships function of the Student Connect team via email and they will walk you through the process of what they require from you. This will include providing a letter of proof from VA confirming your eligibility to receive education benefits.
RSU has a number of courses already pre-approved to be taken by students receiving VA education benefits, but can request for additional courses to be approved by VA if you would like to study a course not currently available. The following RSU courses are currently certified as eligible by VA:
- ARCHITECTURE, BACHELOR
- BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MASTER
- COACHING SCIENCE, BACHELOR
- CONTEMPORARY MUSIC PRACTICE,BACHELOR
- EDRSUATION, BACHELOR
- ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, BACHELOR
- HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT, BACHELOR
- HUMAN NUTRITION, BACHELOR
- INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, BACHELOR
- INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, BACHELOR
- INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, BACHELOR
- PHARMACEUTICALS, BACHELOR
- PHARMACY, BACHELOR
- PHARMACY, MASTER
- PHYSIOTHERAPY, MASTER
- POLITICS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, BACHELOR
- PRIMARY TEACHING, MASTER
- PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, MASTER
- SPORTS MANAGEMENT, BACHELOR
- WRITING, BACHELOR
To check what courses are approved you can search by country utilising the following link to the VA website.