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UniSA Student Print Quota

This page has detailed information on the UniSA student print quota system which is used to manage printing from the centrally managed student printers in computer pools and computer barns.  An overview of the differences between your UniSA student print quota and your MONITOR print/photocopy account is available at Student Printing Facilities - Overview

Print Quota Levels

For students with the same course load the UniSA print quota is the same for all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students, regardless of School or mode of teaching (internal or external).  International students who are studying on-shore may receive an additional quota because analysis has shown they have additional printing requirements relating to the fact they are away from their home country.

The amount of free printing you receive in each year is related to the number of Course Units for which you are enrolled in that year. You will receive a University funded initial base quota of $6 plus an additional $9 for each 4.5 Course Units you enrol in for the year.  The base quota will be credited to your quota balance the day after you enrol or the first time you print (whichever comes first).  The Course Unit related amounts will be added each time you enrol in additional courses and will be credited to your balance within 1 week of your course load increasing. 

If you enrol in all your study period 5 courses at the beginning of the year you will not receive the study period 5 portion of your print quota until mid-April (100 days before the start of the study period).

A student enrolled full-time in study period 2 and study period 5 would receive a total of $78 for the year ($6 base quota + $36 for courses in study period 2 + $36 for courses in study period 5). Students enrolled in additional courses (including those in other study periods) receive additional print quota up to a maximum of $96 for the year.

Those who need to print more are able to do so by paying to top up their print quota.

Page Charges

See Student Printing Facilities - Overview for page charges.

If you are a full time student (study periods 2 and 5) and print only on the General Purpose pools and Computer Barn printers your yearly print quota of $78 allows you to print up to 1100 page impressions (printed sides) if you print A4 monochrome double-sided. We estimate that over 70% of students will be able to complete the year without using all their University-funded print quota.

See the sections below on how Schools May Fund An Increase to Your Quota and How To Increase Your Quota to find out what you can do if your Printing quota runs out.

Who Does The Quota Apply To?

The quota levels described on this page apply to all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students.

PhD students and Masters by Research students will operate under the same conditions for printing as staff.  Their printing will not be limited by the quota system but will be logged and billed to their school or unit.

What Happens If You Use All Of Your Quota?

If your printing balance is reduced to zero, you will not be able to use printers managed by the UniSA print quota system until you top up your print quota. 

See the section below to find out how to obtain or pay for additional printer access.

Schools May Fund An Increase To Your Quota

You can ask a staff member in your School about the possibility of your School funding extra printing quota for you. Procedures have been put in place to permit Schools to fund print quota top-ups for individual students, students in specific courses and students in specific programs. An authorised manager from the School needs to fill out the form "Increase Student Internet OR Print Quotas (school funded)".

How To Increase Your Own Quota

Log in to your personal account in myUniSA in the usual way (http://www.unisa.edu.au/myunisa/default.asp)...

Alternatively you can increase your quota by paying for additional printing by visiting the Campus Central office on your campus. You will need to fill out the form "Application for Increased Student Internet OR Print Quota". If you pay by credit card you can fax the form to your nearest Campus Central office.

You should monitor your printing balance through myUniSA regularly.  If you allow your printing balance to fall to zero, you will not have access to printing again until your payment is registered in myUniSA.  This will often happen within an hour of payment but can take up to one working day under some circumstances.

Please note that UniSA partner institution (e.g. CELUSA, SAIBT and Le Cordon Bleu) students are not able to top up their print Quota online and need to visit Campus Central to top up their quota.

What Happens to Unused Quota?

Your university-funded quota is provided for your printing in the same year (up to mid-December). Your print quota can not be transferred to your Internet quota or to another student and unused university-funded quota amounts are not carried over to the next year (you get a new quota amount for the next year when you re-enrol).

If you increased your quota from your own funds any unused student-funded quota left at the end of the year will be carried over to your next year's quota if you are still at UniSA.  However, if your are approaching the end of your studies at UniSA, be aware that print quota top-up amounts are not refundable so avoid paying in too much more than you expect to use.

Also note that the print quota "year" actually finishes in mid to late December (not December 31) after the completion of Study Periods 5 and 6.  A new base quota of $6 is available at this time and Study Period 7 print quota amounts are re-applied by the first week of the following January.

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