VET Student Loans is an income contingent loan offered by the Australian government. This loan scheme commenced on 1 January 2017, replacing the VET FEE HELP scheme, which ceased on 31 December 2016. The VSL scheme enables eligible students choosing our Diploma or Advanced Diploma to borrow up to the eligible cap towards their course. In 2023 the eligible cap is $16,788.

A VET Student Loan will give rise to a VTSL debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid.

A VET Student Loan will not be approved for students who do not meet the eligibility requirements.

An eligible student must be assessed as academically suited to undertake our course, have a HELP Loan balance greater than zero and must be:

> An Australian Citizen

> Hold a permanent humanitarian visa and usually reside in Australia or

> A qualifying New Zealand Citizen

There is no age restriction on this scheme but lifetime limits do apply. The 2023 HELP lifetime limit is $113,028.

To be academically suited for our courses you must meet our entry requirements and provide a copy of the following documents at your interview

> Australian Year 12 Certificate or

> Evidence of successful completion of an Australian Qualifications Framework Certificate IV or higher qualification (where the language of instruction was English) or

> Display competence at Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy through an approved Literacy and Numeracy Test (we use CSPA LLN tests conducted on campus after you have attended your interview). Results of a student’s competence in reading and numeracy will be advised to the student as soon as practicable after the assessment.

Under the scheme all units of study that you apply for will incur a 20% loan fee. This loan fee does not form part of the eligible cap. If you access the full $16,788 loan fee you will end up with a HELP debt of $19,465.20

At the start of each term you we will issue you with a VET Student Loan Invoice. This is not to be paid by you but is for your information. It is a summary of the cost of each unit for that term, the loan fee and the census dates. You do not access the full amount up front. You will be charged progressively through the course. The government pays the loan amount directly to a student’s provider.

As the VET Student Loan will not cover the full cost of your course we will provide you with an instalment plan for the balance of course fees over the duration of your study.

The census date refers to the date that you may withdraw from a unit of study without incurring the cost for that unit. The census date is calculated at 20% from the start date of your unit of study for that term. Dates will change depending on the length of the unit of study. For example a 10 week unit of study will have a census date at the end of week 2.

The census dates for each unit can be found in the Schedule of VET Tuition Fees below. It is important to note that each course will have a different schedule. At your interview we will go through the correct schedule with you to ensure you understand all the terminology involved.

VET Student Loan debts become part of an individual’s accumulated HELP debt and this is repaid through the tax system. In the 2022-2023 income year, you will be required to make a compulsory repayment if your income is $48,361 or above. The debt is indexed each year to maintain its real value.

It’s important that you follow the steps below to secure your loan in time to start studying.

Step 1    You must read this information booklet

> VET Student Loans Information Booklet for Students

Step 2 You must attend an interview and enrol into the Diploma or Advanced Diploma course. Please advise our team that you would like to apply for a VET Student Loan. You must have included your Unique Student Identifier (USI) on your enrolment form and your CHESSN (if you have previously been allocated a number from previous funding).

Step 3 You must provide proof of Australian citizenship by providing a copy of either your birth certificate, passport or Australian Citizenship certificate and also supply evidence of your academic suitability as per the above

Step 4 You must be able to supply the Department with your Tax File Number

Step 5 We will inform the Department of Education and Training that you are enrolled. You will receive an email with instructions to login into their eCAF system and submit your eCAF form. You will be required to answer a few short questions and indicate that you have read the information booklet downloaded above. You will be emailed a copy of your completed form, please forward this to our team BEFORE the first census date of your course.

Once you access VET Student Loans you will be required to demonstrate the you are progressing throughout your course. From 1 July 2017 you will be required to log in online twice during the year and acknowledge that you accept the loan you will receive for the course.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding VET Student Loans please contact the Department of Education and Training HELP Student Enquiry line on 1800 020 108 or email VETStudentLoans@education.gov.au

For more information on HELP debts, repayment thresholds visit www.studyassist.gov.au