HECS-HELP

You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a HECS-HELP loan:

• You are studying in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP).
• You meet the citizenship and residency requirements:
  • You are an Australian citizen who will complete at least one unit of your course of study in Australia; or
  • You are a New Zealand citizen who meets the long-term residency requirements, is resident in Australia for the duration of your study, and either:
    a) holds a special category visa (SCV); or
    b) is a permanent visa holder who, immediately before becoming a permanent visa holder, held a special category visa and previously met the long-term residency requirements; or
  • You are a permanent humanitarian visa holder or eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder (currently subclass 155 or 157 visa holder) who is resident in Australia for the duration of your study; or
  • You are a pacific engagement visa holder who is resident in Australia for the duration of your study.
• You are enrolled in each unit of study by the census date.
• You have a valid Tax File Number.
• You have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).
• You submit the Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP  eCAF by the census date.
• You have not have already borrowed up to your HELP loan limit.
• You are a genuine student and academically suited to the course of study.

For more information, download the HECS-HELP information booklet.

Eligible students can borrow up to the combined HELP limit to pay your tuition fees. This includes all FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans amounts you have borrowed.  It will also include any HECS-HELP loans incurred from 1 January 2020.

Once you begin using your HELP loan limit, the amount of HELP you have left to borrow is known as your available 'HELP balance'. The HELP loan limit is published annually on the Study Assist HECS-HELP website. 

For information on the new combined HELP loan limit, please visit the Study Assist website.

There are no application or loan fees for HECS-HELP.  There is no interest charged on your HELP debt, however it is subject to indexation, which means the loan maintains its real value by adjusting in line with the cost of living. 

You repay your HELP debt through the tax system once you earn above the compulsory repayment threshold.  The compulsory repayment threshold is different each year.

You can also make a voluntary repayment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at any time.

Learn more

Our customer service team is ready to support you through the application process. You can contact us if you have any questions, or need any help with your HECS-HELP application.