Financial assistance – FEE-HELP

FEE Higher Education Loan Program, FEE-HELP is a loan from the Australian Government to pay all or part of your fees when you study a higher education (award) course, at an approved higher education provider. FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible domestic fee-paying students to pay all or part of their tuition fees. A FEE-HELP loan does not cover additional study costs such as accommodation, laptops or textbooks.

The FEE-HELP loan limit, which is the maximum combined limit that you can borrow over your lifetime, is set by the Australian Government and indexed annually. The FEE-HELP loan limit in 2025 is $126,839.

There is a loan fee of 20% applied to FEE-HELP for undergraduate courses, which do not form part of your limit. You can view your available balance via the myHELPbalance website.

FEE-HELP loans are repaid through the Australian taxation system. You start repaying your FEE-HELP once you earn above the compulsory repayment threshold, which is $54,435 in 2024-2025 ($67,000 in 2025-2026).

If you are eligible for FEE-HELP assistance and would like to obtain a FEE-HELP loan, this will be managed through your enrolment process at UNSW College (Refer below)

SA-HELP is an Australian Government HELP loan available to eligible domestic students who do not wish to pay their Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) upfront.

The Student Services & Amenities Fee (SSAF) is payable when you enrol in a Diploma Program. The fee covers non-academic services including counselling, career and financial advice, health and food services, sports activities and more.

Full-time: $121.66/term

Part-time: $87.75/term

The Australian Government pays your tuition and SSAF fees directly to UNSW College and your HELP debt is recorded with the Australian Tax Office (ATO). You'll be issued with a Commonwealth Assistance notice (CAN) each enrolled study period. This will detail any amount deferred to the ATO.

Higher Education Loan Programs (HELP) isn't means tested. Your income, or the income of a partner or your family, will not affect your eligibility. You can apply for FEE-HELP if you are enrolled as a full fee-paying student in an eligible course and would like a Government loan to cover all or part your tuition fees.

You may be eligible for SA/FEE-HELP if you meet one of the following criteria:

• you are an Australian citizen, who studies at least one unit of your course while living in Australia
• you are a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, or an eligible former New Zealand SCV holder, who meets the long-term residency requirements, and who studies your entire course while living in Australia
• you are a permanent humanitarian visa holder, or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder, who studies your entire course while living in Australia
• you are a Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) holder, who studies your entire course while living in Australia.

In addition, you must have an available HELP balance and provide UNSW College with the following information before your first census date:

• your Unique Student Identifier (USI)
• your tax file number (TFN) or a certificate of application for a TFN from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Depending on if you meet the eligibility requirements, you may be able to apply for FEE-HELP SA-HELP. For further information regarding eligibility requirements, please see the information available on the Study Assist website.

To apply for FEE-HELP, you must complete a separate Commonwealth Assistance Form for each loan type via the (eCAF) portal. If you meet the eligibility requirements, and when your enrolment process has progressed, UNSW College will initiate a link to the Commonwealth Assistance portal, inviting you to apply for FEE-HELP. This invite will come from the Australian government during the enrolment process.

As part of the application process, you will need to provide your USI before Census Day if you fit into any of the following categories:

• You plan to defer all or part of course fees by making use of a FEE-HELP loan; and/or
• You plan to defer SSAF by making use of SA-HELP loan.

All students fitting the above categories will need to provide their USI by Census Day. If applying for FEE-HELP and have not provided your UNE with your USI by Census Day, we will be required to cancel your enrolment and withdraw you from your units.

If you believe you are eligible after reading this information and have not received your information to access the eCAF Forms please submit a request for access to the form and information booklet through the contact us link or phone us on +61 2 8936 2222.

Please be aware that the appropriate form must be received by the UNSW College before the final unit enrolment date for the teaching period. Please see the key dates page for the relevant teaching period dates that may apply.

Please note that SA-HELP is currently not available for the May 2025 intake.

You pay back your loan when your taxable income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold – From 1 July 2025 the minimum repayment threshold will change from $54,435 in 2024-25 to $67,000 in 2025-26. You can make payments directly to UNSW College before the Census date. Alternatively, once the FEE-HELP debt has been reported to the ATO you can make voluntary repayments directly to them of any amount.

If you temporarily suspend your studies, your FEE-HELP status will remain in place. If you transfer to another course, you'll need to complete a new FEE-HELP form.

If you believe you are eligible after reading this information and have not received your information to access the eCAF Form please submit a request for access to the form and information booklet through the contact us link.