What is the VET Student Loans program?
The VET Student Loans program is an Australian Government loan program that helps eligible students enrolled in approved courses at diploma level or above, at approved course providers pay their tuition fees. The loan has income-contingent repayment arrangements, which means you only need to make repayments if you are earning above the minimum repayment threshold. You can make voluntary repayments at any time.
If you are an eligible student, the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business (the Department) may approve your VET Student Loan for an approved course. The Department will pay your loan directly to your approved course provider. You will be responsible for any gap amount in the tuition fees, which are not covered by the loan. You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
VET Student Loan Eligibility Criteria
To receive a VET Student Loan, you must:
- Be an eligible student
- Be studying an approved course
- Be studying with an approved course provider
- Apply to the government using the approved form, which will be managed through your provider, and
- submit Progression Forms to confirm your ongoing engagement with your studies, and continue accessing the loan throughout your course.
To be an eligible student, you must meet ALL of these criteria:
- You are
- An Australian Citizen, or
- A qualifying New Zealand Citizen, or
- A permanent humanitarian visa holder, who is usually resident in Australia.
- Your HELP balance (the amount of your HELP loan limit you have left) is more than $0. This means you have enough HELP loan limit remaining for your proposed studies to be covered by the loan. The HELP loan limit is the limit on how much you can borrow. Any borrowing under FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans and, from 1 January 2020, HECS-HELP will count towards your HELP loan limit.
- You are enrolled with an approved course provider in an approved course and have enrolled in accordance with the application requirements.
- You are studying the approved course primarily at a campus in Australia
- You have been assessed by The Health Arts College as academically suited to undertake the approved course on the basis of either:
- Providing your Australian Year 12 Certificate; OR
- Providing your International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) diploma OR
- Providing a copy of a certificate showing you have been awarded a qualification at level 4 or above in the Australian Qualifications Framework (where the language of instruction was English); or at a level in a framework that preceded the AQF and is equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF, OR
- Displaying competence at Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy through an approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy test.
In addition, The Health Arts College must reasonably believe you show competence in completing the course.
- You meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
- You have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) or are otherwise exempt.
- You have given the required documents to The Health Arts College and submitted the loan application form by the first census day no less than two business days after enrolling.
- Information and documents about your identity and date of birth will be collected and verified by The Health Arts College relating to a student applying for a VET Student Loan.
To be an approved course, your course must:
- Be specified by the VET Student Loans (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination 2016 (the courses and loan caps determination): and
- For state-government subsidised students, lead to a qualification of diploma or advanced diploma in the Australian Qualifications Framework; or
- For full fee-paying / fee for service students, lead to a qualification of diploma, advanced diploma, graduate certificate or graduate diploma in the Australian Qualifications Framework
All students must read the VET Student Loans information booklet when applying for a VET Student Loan.
Please visit https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/vet-student-loans-information-booklet
Schedule of Tuition fees and census dates - 2022
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-August
Schedule of Tuition fees and census dates - 2019
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-February
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-March
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-April
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-May
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-July
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-August
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-September
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-October
Schedule of tuition fees and census dates-November
