A STARTUP-HELP loan from the Australian Government can be used to pay for your studies when you attend university and participate in a Startup Year course.
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What is a Startup Year course?
A Startup Year course is an accelerator program course designed to develop a person’s skills, capabilities and connections for startup businesses. For more information on the program, please visit Startup Year Program.
A STARTUP-HELP loan is used to help you pay the course fees for a Startup Year course.
The STARTUP-HELP loan is different to a Student Start-up Loan, which is administered through Services Australia. If you are interested in applying for a Student Start-up Loan, please visit Services Australia.
STARTUP-HELP publications
STARTUP-HELP booklet and fact sheet are available on the HELP publications page.
Eligibility for STARTUP-HELP loan
To receive a STARTUP-HELP loan, you must meet all the eligibility criteria.
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be either:
- a student in the final year of an undergraduate course of study, (and remain enrolled in the course of study on and after the census date of your Startup Year course); or
- enrolled in a postgraduate course of study, on and after the census date of your Startup Year course; or
- a recent student who completed a bachelor degree (or higher level qualification) no more than 36 months before commencing the Startup Year course
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be enrolled in a Startup Year course at an Australian university or university college on or before the census date, and remain enrolled at the end of the census date
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meet the citizenship and residency requirements
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be selected by your provider to receive a STARTUP-HELP loan
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be primarily studying on an Australian campus
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submit the STARTUP-HELP electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) on or before the census date
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not have received a STARTUP-HELP loan more than once before
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be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your course.
Citizenship and residency requirements
To meet the citizenship and residency requirement you must be one of the following:
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an Australian citizen
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a permanent humanitarian visa holder (or eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder) who will live in Australia for the entire Startup Year course
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a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder (or permanent resident who was a former eligible NZ SCV holder) who meets the long-term residency requirements and who will live in Australia for the entire Startup Year course
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a pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who is living in Australia for the entire Startup Year course (note: a PEV holder became eligible from 1 February 2024).
Additional requirements
You will also need your tax file number (TFN) and unique student identifier (USI) to be eligible.
Useful links and resources
Find more information about your tax file number.
Learn more about your USI and CHESSN.
Further information is available in the eligibility FAQs.
How do I apply for a STARTUP-HELP loan?
To apply for a STARTUP-HELP loan you will need to submit a request for STARTUP-HELP loan form to your provider on or before the census date.
You can only get the form from your provider once you have accepted your course offer.
If you have already applied and want to check if your STARTUP-HELP loan has been approved, you will need to ask your provider directly.
Indexation of STARTUP-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 STARTUP-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 STARTUP-HELP loans
The STARTUP-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 balance of your HELP debt.
Further information regarding repayment of your HELP loan is available at paying back your loan.
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.