What does the new Commonwealth Prac Payment mean for students? Will it do enough to end ‘placement poverty’?

Student nurse and nurse in a workplace setting

The federal government has announced a “Commonwealth Prac Payment” to support selected groups of students doing mandatory work placements.

The payment, which is part of the upcoming federal budget, is due to start in July 2025 and will be means-tested (the details of which are still to be worked out). It follows a recommendation from the Universities Accord final report and will be welcomed by many students facing “placement poverty” as they complete their degrees. But is it enough?

Deanna Grant-Smith and Paula McDonald discussed in a recent article in The Conversation.

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