For the purposes of the VCES, a tertiary student is in full time education if they are:
- undertaking a tertiary course that attracts a fee equivalent to three quarters of a full time load (0.75 of a full year's HECS loading or 0.375 for a semester), or
- undertaking at least three quarters of a study load for a course that the institution classifies as full time.
A primary or secondary student is in full time education if they are undertaking a set amount of work that is accepted by the school as being full time.