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Higher Education Loan Program

The Australian Government provides financial assistance to eligible domestic students through the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). A HELP loan allows you to defer payment of your course fees and Student Amenities fee while you study.

HELP loans are repaid through the Australian Taxation Office when your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.

The type of loan you may be eligible for depends on your fee category and your residency status.

HELP Loan 

Fee Category 

Am I eligible? 

HECS-HELP

A HECS-HELP loan covers the cost of student contributions for students in a Commonwealth supported place.

Commonwealth supported

You are eligible for a HECS-HELP loan if you:

  • are an Australian citizen who will undertake at least one unit of study in Australia in a Commonwealth supported place

  • are a Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit of study

  • are a New Zealand citizen who holds a Special Category Visa and meets the long term residency requirements

  • meet the genuine student and completion rate requirements (students who commence in a new program from 1 January 2022)

FEE-HELP

A FEE-HELP loan covers the cost of tuition fees for domestic students in a fee-paying place.

Domestic fee-paying 

You are eligible for a FEE-HELP loan if you:

  • are an Australian citizen who will undertake at lease one unit of study in Australia in a fee-paying place

  • are a Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration on your unit of study

  • are a New Zealand citizen who holds a Special Category Visa and meets the long term residency requirements

  • meet the genuine student and completion rate requirements (students who commence in a new program from 1 January 2022)

SA-HELP

A SA-HELP loan covers the cost of the Student Amenities fee for eligible domestic students.

Commonwealth supported

Domestic fee-paying

Students who meet the eligibility requirements for HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP are eligible for a SA-HELP loan.

HELP Entitlement Limit

The maximum amount you can borrow under the Higher Education Loan Program is set by the Government and is called your HELP entitlement. Your HELP entitlement limit is a renewable balance. Any repayments you make are credited towards your HELP limit which increases your available balance.

You can check your available HELP balance at myHELPbalance. You will need your CHESSN or USI and your Student ID to login to the portal and view your balance.

Information on how to repay your HELP debt and the compulsory repayment threshold is available here. For helpful videos about HELP, visit the StudyAssist website. 

New Zealand citizens must meet the following residency requirements to be eligible for a HELP loan.

To be eligible, you must:

  • be ordinarily resident in Australia and hold a Special Category Visa (Subclass 444)
  • have first entered Australia to reside here as a dependent minor under the age of 18
  • have been usually resident in Australia for at least 10 years
  • have been physically present in Australia for a total of at least eight out of the past 10 years and 18 months out of the past two years

If you are a New Zealand citizen and wish to request a HELP loan, you must provide a copy of your International Movement Record before your first census date for assessment of your eligibility. Students who are assessed as ineligible for a HELP loan must pay their student contribution amount or tuition fees in full by the census date.