How can VET FEE-HELP Providers Help you Get a Student Loan?

Through VET FEE-HELP students can benefit from a loan scheme funded by the Commonwealth Government. This loan allows students to defer all their tuition fees or pay some of their tuition fees upfront and then defer their balance.

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Starting July 2014, the VET FEE-HELP loans can also be accessed by students in NSW Government subsidized training places, who have to pay for their TAFE NSW fee for Diploma, selected Certificate IV courses or Advanced Diploma. The selected Certificate IV courses that can benefit from this loan are SIT40212 Travel and Tourism, ICT40415 Information Technology Networking, CHC43115 Disability, AHC40110 Agriculture and CHC43015 Ageing Support.

Who is eligible for VET FEE-HELP loan?

A student is eligible for this loan if he/she:

  • Is an Australian citizen or have a permanent humanitarian visa according to which he/she will live in the country for the duration of the studies
  • Is a New Zealand citizen
  • Comply with all the academic suitability requirements required under the TAFE NSW VET FEE-HELP Entry Procedure
  • Does not exceed the FEE-HELP loan limit
  • Has a tax file number
  • Has a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN)

If you decide that the VET FEE-HELP loan is what you need to be able to pay for your studies, please note that it is not possible to apply for this loan at the same time you enroll. At least two business days have to pass from the time of the enrollment to the application for the loan. You can also apply for the loan online, using a link offered by your college after your eligibility is confirmed.

VET FEE-HELP Providers

To become a vet fee help providers, one has to meet the requested national standards to issue and deliver the nationally recognized and accredited Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications.

All VET FEE-HELP Providers must:

  • Make sure that all their advertising and marketing strategies to promote their services are accurate, ethical and consistent with the range of training programs that they have been approved to provide
  • Inform all the potential students about the assessment, training, and support services that they will offer, as well as students’ rights and obligations
  • Formalize all service arrangements with students upon enrolment
  • Provide assessment, training program and support that meet the students’ needs
  • Offer students timely access to accurate and current records of their progress and participation.

How do students repay the VET FEE-HELP loan?

Students will start repaying the VET FEE-HELP loan through the taxation system when their repayment income surpasses the compulsory repayment threshold, even if they are still studying. The compulsory repayment threshold is recalculated each year: $54,126 for the 2015-2016 income year and $54,869 for the 2016-2017 income year.

The repayment income for each year is calculated from the amounts given to the student’s income tax return for:

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  • reportable fringe benefits
  • the taxable income
  • reportable super contributions
  • total net investment loss
  • exempt foreign employment income amounts

If a student cannot afford to repay the loan, he/she can apply to the ATO to defer the payment and fill in the Deferring your compulsory HELP. The form asks for a specific and detailed statement of the person’s household income and expenses to justify the impossibility of repaying the loan.

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