HECS-HELP & FEE-HELP

When you attend University, you may be eligible for a HELP loan to help pay for the cost of your study.

The HELP loan is provided by the Australian Government and needs to be paid back through the Australian tax system once you start earning above the compulsory threshold amount. If your annual income is less than this amount, you do not need to make repayments.

Your HELP loan will be affected by indexation. Indexation is like interest and will be applied to your HELP loan debts that are older than 11 months on 1 June each year.

There are a number of HELP loans available:

HECS-HELP

A HECS-HELP loan (also known as HECS) can only be accessed by eligible students to pay the student contribution amount if they are enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). The student contribution amount is paid directly to the University by the government.

FEE-HELP

A FEE-HELP loan is available to pay your tuition fees if you are enrolled in a full fee-paying place (not a CSP). A FEE-HELP loan may only be used to pay for your tuition fees and is paid directly to your provider by the government.

Check if you're eligible to defer your fees

HECS-HELP

To receive a HECS-HELP loan you must meet all the eligibility criteria.


You must:

  • be studying in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements (see below)
  • submit your Unique Student Identifier (USI) in MySR by the census date
  • complete the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) in MySR by the census date
  • submit a valid Tax File Number (TFN) in the eCAF by the census date
  • have available HELP balance
  • have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement available
  • be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your unit(s) of study
  • not undertake more than two years' worth of higher education study in 12 months unless your provider has approved you to take on more

FEE-HELP

To receive a FEE-HELP loan you must meet all the eligibility criteria.


You must:

  • be studying in a full fee-paying program
  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements (see below)
  • submit your Unique Student Identifier (USI) in MySR by the census date
  • complete the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) in MySR by the census date
  • submit a valid Tax File Number (TFN) in the eCAF by the census date
  • have available HELP balance
  • have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement available
  • be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your unit(s) of study
  • 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 for HELP

In order to meet the citizenship and residency requirements you must be one of the following:

  • an Australian citizen who will study at least some of your course while living in Australia
  • 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
  • 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
  • a Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s).

Check your eligibility via the Eligibility tool.

International students, ineligible New Zealand citizens and other permanent residents are not able to defer their fees under the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP). They will need to pay upfront by census date.

Find out about OS-HELP

FAQs

I want to request a HECS-HELP loan for my student contribution and repay the loan later

As part of your enrolment through My Student Records (MySR), you would have filled out an eCAF. You need to ensure you have lodged your TFN and USI, and submit this form by the census date of the teaching term you are enrolled in.

Please double check your eCAF, as failure to provide full and accurate information and not making a payment could result in your enrolment being cancelled.

Find out how to complete your eCAF

I have submitted my TFN, can I still make an upfront payment?

If you have submitted an eCAF with a valid TFN you can still choose to pay some or all of your fees upfront. All upfront payments must be made by the census date of the teaching term you are enrolled in. Any debt remaining after the census date will be deferred to the ATO as a HECS-HELP debt.

After the census date has passed, voluntary payments can be made directly to the Australian Taxation Office.

Find out more about paying back your loan

How do I check that my fees will defer?

To ensure that your fees will defer, check you have fulfilled all census compliance requirements.

If you do not meet all census requirements, you will need to pay the total amount of your fees for the relevant teaching term by the census date.

I’ve paid upfront, will I get a discount?

From 1 January 2023, there will no longer be a 10% discount for upfront payment for HECS-HELP eligible students. This discount was available in 2021 and 2022 however the Australian Government has not extended this to 2023 onwards.

I have recently become an Australian citizen, how do I get access to HECS-HELP?

If you are an Australian permanent resident or New Zealand citizen and you become an Australian citizen before census date, you must present your original citizenship certificate to a Student Services Hub or forward a certified copy of your citizenship certificate to Enrolments, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751.

This must be done before the census date to be eligible for HECS-HELP for that term.

FEE-HELP loan fee

In some instances, Undergraduate programs at Western are not offered on a CSP basis and are full-fee paying, in which case HECS-HELP is not available. Students who are HELP eligible may be able to access FEE-HELP for these programs.

A 20% Loan fee applies to students accessing FEE-HELP for Undergraduate programs. This fee was waived by the government until the end of 2022, but the exemption was lifted in 2023, meaning students are required to pay the loan fee from 2023 onward.

For more information please visit Study Assist Fee Help.

What is the difference between the different loan types (HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, SA-HELP and OS-HELP)?

HECS-HELP is a loan that can only be usedfor CSP programs (most undergraduate award programs and a selection of post-graduate award programs).

FEE-HELP is a loan that can only be used for full fee-paying programs.

SA-HELP is a loan that can only be used to defer your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). Find out more about SSAF.

OS-HELP is a loan used for studies undertaken overseas. Find out more about OS-HELP.

I'm waiting for my Citizenship ceremony, am I eligible to defer my fees?

You will need to attend your Australian Citizenship ceremony and submit the relevant evidence by the term's census date. Once your residency is approved and updated on your student record, you will need to submit the following in MySR by the census date:

  • Unique Student Identifier (USI)
  • electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) for the relevant program; and
  • a valid Tax File Number (TFN).

Where can I view my HELP balance?

You can find information on viewing your HELP debt via the StudyAssist page.

Where can I get information about paying back my loan?

Find out about paying back your loan.

What is my Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) and where can I view it?

Your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is your official record of your fees charged, amounts paid, fees deferred and enrolment.

Find out about your Commonwealth Assistance Notice.