Students at RMIT event

Thanks SSAF!

What services has SSAF funded in 2020?

The SSAF has always funded a range of student services and experiences and this year is no different. In 2020, SSAF has been integral to the continued delivery of co-curricular student services and the creation of new ones. It has also ensured these services continue to operate online, as a result of COVID-19. 

Check out the range of services funded by SSAF and how you can access them online.

Student health, wellbeing and support

RMIT student counselling: Our professional counsellors can help you with feelings of stress, lonliness, anxiety or any other mental health issues you might be experiencing.
Access student counselling
RUSU Compass: Compass Drop In Centre is a stepping stone for students to information and services within RMIT and out in the community. During COVID-19 the service has pivoted to online and telephone appointments.
Access Compass
RMIT equitable learning support: Provides support and equal opportunities for students with a disability, long-term illness and/or mental health condition and primary carers of individuals with a disability.
Access equitable learning support
RMIT equitable learning support: Provides support and equal opportunities for students with a disability, long-term illness and/or mental health condition and primary carers of individuals with a disability.
Access equitable learning support
Academic skills advisors and librarians can help you with researching your topic, finding information, improving your academic writing skills, academic integrity, effective learning strategies, maths, physics, statistics and more!
Get learning support
From student hardship assistance and financial counselling to food delivery, there are plenty of initiatives available to you.
Discover financial and welfare support
If you're experiencing housing difficulties, are at risk of becomming homeless, are homeless or are experiencing family violence, there are supports at RMIT and in the community that you can access.
Learn more
RMIT’s Chaplaincy Service, in partnership with the Parliament of Victoria and the community at St Peter’s Eastern Hill, is distributing free freshly made and frozen meals to RMIT students impacted financially by coronavirus (COVID-19). 
Learn more
The RMIT Student Legal Service is run by qualified lawyers who are able to provide advice and information to currently enrolled students on a range of legal issues.
Discover how the legal service can help you
RMIT Chaplaincy provides help and spiritual support for students and staff of all faiths and none.
Learn about multi-faith support

Student advocacy and rights

RUSU student rights and referral service: RUSU’s Student Rights service exists to help students understand the rules and processes that affect them at RMIT, be assertive and respectful about seeking outcomes through interactions with RMIT staff, and when necessary advocate on their behalf to the university. 
Learn more
RUSU elected representatives: Elected by RMIT students to represent across areas including international, postgraduate, LGBTIQ, womens rights,education and more.
Meet your representatives

Student life and inclusion 

RMIT Student Life offers events, clubs an programs that will help you meet new people, learn new skills and stay connected to life at RMIT. 
Discover Student Life at RMIT
RUSU What's On: From fit tips, to podcasts and free meals, there's always something on offer for students from RUSU.
See what's on offer
RMIT student sporting and creative clubs are open to any students who want to explore creative or sporting interests and make friends at the same time.
Creative clubs
Sport clubs
RUSU student clubs: With a range of different clubs, including Academic & Industry Clubs, Cultural & Nationality Clubs, Social, Political & Activist Clubs, and Spiritual Clubs, RUSU clubs are a great way to get involved.
RUSU clubs
Everyone can be Creative, even from home. RMIT Creative's groups, events and activities are open to you, no matter what you study.
Get Creative
Get "Redbacktive" with RMIT Sport and Fitness. They're running online fitness classes like lunch time yoga, home work outs and daily gaming with the ESports and Games club. 
Get Redbacktive
Through the Mates Community, you gain a Mates social mentor, get involved in a range of social events and explore Life Hacks videos for answers to your questions about uni life.
Explore the Mates community
RMIT Media Collective: Spanning print, radio and television the RMIT Media Collective includes Catalyst magazine, SYN radio and RMITV. These student-run media organisations provide experience and opportunities in media for students.
Learn more

Student careers and employability

Job Shop is your one-stop service for all things career related. From job search tips to free resume reviews and workshops, and much more, the Job Shop can help you.
Get career support
Graduating students receive tailored career support so you're ready to start your professional career with skills, confidence and a plan for your future.
Graduate job ready
Make industry connections in your field and get tailored career advice from an industry mentor. Mentors come from a variety of private, public sector and not-for-profit organisations and have management and leadership experience.
Find a mentor
A flexible, co-curricular program designed to increase your employability. The program will help you build 21st century skills that are crucial in your chosen industry.
Start your Future Edge journey

RMIT offers a range of volunteer programs where you can get involved, give some time, meet new people and build your networks, while acquiring the soft skills that employers value.

Explore volunteer opportunities

Where is SSAF going?

SSAF allocation

RMIT collects more than $14 million in Student Service and Amenities fees each year to support the delivery of student services, programs, activities and events for RMIT students. Find out where your SSAF is going.

$4,615,212.94

Allowable items

  • Helping students develop skills for study, by means other than undertaking courses of study in which they are enrolled.
  • Helping students obtain employment or advice on careers.

Examples of key initiatives

  • Career coaching, industry experience and jobs for students living with a disability.
  • RMIT University Student Union (RUSU) Volunteer Program – providing training opportunities such as Responsible Service of Alcohol, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Safe Food Handling Certificates.
  • Jobs on Campus program.
  • Industry mentoring program.
  • The Job Shop - student drop-in service centre for all things job and career-related.
  • Final year career support - careers support to help you find work and opportunities after graduation.
  • Future Edge – a program that assists students in recognising employability skills and co-curricular experiences during university.
  • RUSU Strong Student Voices – workshops and events to develop student leader capability and confidence in sharing their voice for Academic Governance and shaping life at RMIT.

$3,710,557.58

Allowable items

  • Providing legal services to students.
  • Promoting the health and welfare of students.
  • Helping students secure accommodation and their financial affairs.
  • Helping meet the needs of overseas students, including welfare, accommodation and employment.

Examples of key initiatives

  • RUSU International Student Support – free english conversation workshops, meals and social events.
  • Free bystander intervention and mental health first aid training for students.
  • Increased counselling services availability.
  • Emergency assistance up to $1000 when unexpected costs impact study, plus access to Coles vouchers, Mykis credit and short-stay accommodation.
  • RUSU’s Compass Drop-In Centre - a safe space for students to drop by, offering advice, information and referrals regarding a wide range of psychosocial issues students experience.
  • Mates at RMIT - a social peer-mentoring program that provides an opportunity for new students (international, local, rural/regional and interstate) to connect with current students.
  • Discounted public transport passes for international students.
  • Student Support Advisers – helping international and domestic students with accommodation and financial challenges.

$4,842,926.24

Allowable items

  • Giving students information to help them with their orientation.
  • Supporting the production and dissemination to students of media whose content is provided by students.
  • Providing food and drink to students on an RMIT campus.
  • Supporting sporting and other recreational activities.
  • Supporting artistic activities by students.
  • Supporting the administration of a club, where most of the members are students.

Examples of key initiatives

  • RUSU Bundoora East, Bundoora West and Brunswick campus life: free food, events and student support.
  • RUSU Postgraduate and Vocational Education (VE) outreach – events, information, support, free food.
  • Regular campus markets and performances to amplify student creative and entrepreneurial talents.
  • Free inclusive Student Life programming celebrating cultural and social diversity across campuses.
  • RUSU RMITV - student media production experience and training.
  • RUSU Orientation: all campuses! Student-lead welcome events - free food, welcome bash, orientation parties, multicultural events, club events, outdoor cinemas and more.
  • RMIT and RUSU clubs grants.
  • RUSU FREE Healthy Breakfast program and Welfare on Wheels – all campuses.

$1,355,057.00

Allowable items

  • Advising on matters arising under the high education providers rules.
  • Advocating students' interests in matters arising under the higher education providers rules.

Examples of key initiatives

  • RUSU Student Rights Service - offering independent advocacy support for student cases.
  • Student Council representatives sitting on appeals and conduct committee meetings to support their fellow students.
  • Development of student advocacy materials, campaigns, research and training for student committee representatives, such as Academic Board and Student Staff Consultative Committee representatives.
 

Your SSAF, Your Say

Your voice helps inform how your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) supports student life outside of the classroom at RMIT. As part of the annual student consultation process, RMIT students who pay SSAF are emailed a survey, asking them to choose their top five listed initiatives. The survey results are then used to inform funding decisions.

Your SSAF covers a range of services and supports, delivering thousands of the experiences that help make RMIT student life great. See how far your SSAF reached in 2019.

We also ensure that your voice is incorporated with other consultation processes - find out more in About SSAF.

 

What has SSAF delivered

Thanks SSAF! Here is a selection of the initiatives and services funded by your Student Services and Amenities Fee. Want to find out more in-depth? Click to view our expenditure report.

Starting life at RMIT

Welcome Events

Have fun meeting new people and discovering what’s available to you at any of RMIT and RUSU’s welcome events.

Mates at RMIT

Mates is a student-to-student peer-mentoring program supported by SSAF that helps hundreds of students each year.

Multicultural Festival

RUSU celebrates the incredible diversity of cultures represented at RMIT with a range of events throughout the year.

thanks ssaf

Student Life, Wellbeing and Support

Support Services

Discover RMIT counselling and support services: mental wellbeing, equitable learning, financial hardship and some legal advice.

International Support

RUSU English Conversation Workshops provide a safe and fun environment for students to meet new people and practice conversational English.

Club Life

SSAF supports hundreds of RMIT and RUSU based clubs and societies each year. Can’t find the club for you, why not apply to start your own?

Student Union Intitiatives

HDR Sit & Write

The RUSU Postgraduate Department regularly holds Sit & Write, a supportive group study event designed for PhD and Masters students. These free events are hugely popular for Postgrads at RMIT. 

Healthy Breakfasts

RUSU has been running the ever-popular free, healthy breakfast program for many years now, and served 70,000 breakfasts throughout 2019. For more details on our free weekly events, visit the RUSU website.   

Little Libraries

Take a book, leave a book...share the love of reading! Little Libraries allow staff and students to donate and borrow books, free of charge, in an exchange system that increases access to books for readers from all backgrounds.

Ready for Life and Work

RMIT Industry Mentoring

Connecting over 2,000 RMIT students with industry professionals to provide leadership and help shape the future workforce.

Jobs on Campus

From entry level to industry specific, Jobs on Campus offers over 800 paid positions every year, giving students the opportunity to work while they study.

Job Shop

Need help with your resume, LinkedIn, headshots or professional profile? Contact RMIT’s Job Shop for help.

More information

For queries about the SSAF, or SA-HELP, visit RMIT Connect on your campus or call +61 9925 5000 during business hours.