Student nbn® plans and $25 cashback for eligible students

Student nbn® plans with $25 cashback

Compare Broadband pays $25 cashback to students who sign up to an eligible nbn® plan through this page and stay connected for 90 days. The offer currently applies to students at RMIT University and Monash University, with more institutions added over time. If you're looking for free nbn® for students, you may not get it, but you will find student discount internet options.

How to qualify for $25 cashback:

• Sign up through Compare Broadband, hold the plan for 90 days, then provide proof of enrolment when asked.
• Cashback is paid to a nominated bank account once the 90-day period is confirmed.
• Not every plan or provider on this page is included in the offer. Call our team on 1300 764 000 or check the full terms at the bottom of this page before signing up.

What to look for in a student nbn® plan

While free internet for students may not be on the table except for public Wi-Fi, there are still good broadband plan options.

Students have to weigh up more than just internet speeds when choosing a plan that suits their study load. There are costs to consider. It's smart to check if a modem is included or optional, too, but also consider the provider’s reliability.

Most providers now offer very similar plan structures, whether you're choosing Aussie Broadband or Superloop. The key is to check what plans include and go from there.

As a rough guide, household size lines up with speed tier like this:

Cheap nbn® plans for students

The cheapest nbn® plans suit students who mainly browse, stream, and attend online classes. They are less suited to large downloads or competitive gaming.

The trade-off is speed. A lighter plan is fine for one person studying, but a busy share house will notice the difference during peak evening hours.

nbn® connection types for share houses and student housing

Most student housing runs on standard nbn® fibre to the node or fibre to the curb. New-build apartments and townhouses near universities are increasingly connected directly with fibre to the premises.

On full fibre or HFC connections, nbn® 500 is now the standard entry tier following nbn Co's 2025 network upgrade. This means that most share houses on those connections are reliable for several students studying and streaming at once.

From July 2027, nbn Co will require full fibre upgrades for selected fibre to the node and fibre to the curb addresses. Providers will start contacting eligible homes from 1st July 2027, with copper switched off from January 2028. If your rental or share house address is on the list, check eligibility now. It is better than scrambling once a shutdown date is set (NBN Co, 2026).

Switching or moving into student housing?

Moving into a share house or student accommodation usually means starting a new nbn® connection. When you switch nbn® providers through Compare Broadband, you pay nothing extra.

Give the team the new address and moving date, and they will handle the connection request and any provider switch at the same time. Living alone instead? Best Wi-Fi for one person covers what a single-occupant setup actually needs.

Renting for the first time? Our guide to the best internet plan for renters covers what to check before you sign up. It includes setup fees and how easy it is to move your service later.

Hayley Griffin Content Lead Hayley draws on over ten years of experience in technology, internet, and communications fields. Her experience spans across global clients, offering expertise on about the nbn, internet plans and hardware challenges facing Australian households, businesses and consumers. Read full bio

References

• NBN Co (2026) Get ready: the nbn® network upgrade. nbn Co. https://www.nbn.com.au/connect/upgrades
• Universities Australia (2026) Student data hub. Universities Australia. https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/stats-publications/student-data-hub/
• Compare Broadband (2026) How We Work. https://www.comparebroadband.com.au/how-we-work/