Financial Support

You may be entitled to some financial help as an SAO student. This depends on what country you are from and what your government supports. Unfortunately, SAO cannot provide information about avenues of support for all countries, but we're happy to help you where we can. If you know of potential support in your home country which might be available to other SAO students, please let us know.

Australian Students

Australian and some New Zealand students enrolling in an SAO degree program (not the SAO Short Course or Individual Units) may be eligible for FEE-HELP. FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. Students repay their loan through the tax system once their income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment. FEE-HELP is available to Australian citizens or holders of a permanent humanitarian visa who will be resident in Australia for the duration of their studies. For more information, visit the FEE-HELP website. Note that when you complete the SAO online enrolment, you will be asked if you intend to apply for FEE-HELP.

In 2025, Swinburne's School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies (SoSCET) may be able to offer up to ten students a 20 per cent tuition fee reduction, effectively through a scholarship, for Victorian Physics teachers to enrol in the (four Unit) Graduate Certificate (GC-ASTRO).

American Students

The US Department of Education provides many billions of dollars a year to help millions of American students and families pay for post-secondary education. They may be able to help you with various forms of aid, including loans, grants, and work-study. For more information, see the US Department of Education website and this web page.