HECS-HELP is a loan from the Australian Government that you can use to pay your student contribution amount.
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HECS-HELP publications
HECS-HELP booklet and fact sheet are available on the HELP publications page.
To access a HECS-HELP (also known as HECS) loan you must be enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP). A CSP is a place at a university or higher education provider where the government pays part of your fees. This is a subsidy to reduce the amount you have to pay to study, but it doesn’t cover the entire cost of your study. The remaining cost is called the student contribution amount.
A HECS-HELP loan can be used to pay the student contribution amount. It will be paid directly to your provider by the government. You do not have to repay this loan until your income reaches a certain amount.
Eligibility for HECS-HELP loan
To receive a HECS-HELP loan you must meet all the eligibility criteria.
You must:
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be studying in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
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meet the citizenship and residency requirements
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submit the request for Commonwealth assistance form to your provider by the census date
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have available HELP balance
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have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement available
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be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your unit(s) of study
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not undertake more than two years' worth of higher education study in 12 months unless your provider has approved you to take on more.
Citizenship and residency requirements
In order to meet the citizenship and residency requirements you must be one of the following:
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an Australian citizen who will study at least some of your course while living in Australia
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a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, or eligible former New Zealand SCV holder, who meets the long-term residency requirements and who studies the entire course while living in Australia
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a permanent humanitarian visa holder, or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder, who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s), or
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a Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s).
Additional requirements
You will also need your tax file number (TFN) and unique student identifier (USI) to be eligible.
How to apply for a HECS-HELP loan
To apply for a HECS-HELP loan you must submit a request for Commonwealth assistance via an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) by the census date.
In your eCAF, your higher education provider will ask how you want to pay for your student contribution amount. This is where you notify them you want to use a HECS-HELP loan.
eCAFs are only available from your provider. Further information on the application process and eCAF is available on the how to apply page.
Indexation of HECS-HELP loans
Similar to interest, your HELP debt will grow. We call this ‘indexation’. Indexation is applied on 1 June every year to the portion of your HELP debt that is older than 11 months.
Indexation is added to your HELP debt to reflect the changes in the cost of living. This is done to ensure education maintains its value over time, like other goods and services.
The rate of indexation that is applied to your debt changes each year.
It is important you understand how indexation will impact your HECS-HELP debt. Further information about indexation is available at loan increases and indexation.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is responsible for applying indexation and managing HELP debt repayments. Current and past indexation rates are available on the ATO website.
Repayment of HECS-HELP loans
Your HECS-HELP loan amount will be added to your accumulated HELP debt and is repaid through the Australian tax system to the ATO.
You must make a compulsory repayment against your HELP debt when you start earning above the compulsory repayment threshold. You can also make voluntary repayments to the ATO at any time to reduce the amount of your HELP debt.
Further information regarding repayment of your HELP loan is available at loan repayments.
Repayment options
Further information regarding repayment options is also available on the ATO website. You can discuss your HELP debt and repayment options by calling the ATO directly on 13 28 61 or visiting ATO online services linked to your myGov account.