What is FEE-HELP?
In Australia the Commonwealth Government provides loans to eligible full fee paying students to assist to pay for tuition fees.
The College is an approved Higher Education Provider (HEP) under the Higher Education Support Act 2003. Therefore, if you meet the Commonwealth’s FEE-HELP eligibility criteria, then you are entitled to apply for a FEE-HELP Loan to pay the tuition fees of any of our postgraduate programs:
- Practical Legal Training Programs,
- Supervised Training Courses, and
- Applied Law Programs
The way that the scheme works is that the Commonwealth Government will pay the amount of the loan to the College on your behalf. Then you will repay the loan to the Commonwealth Government either voluntarily or through the taxation system. For further information see: How do I repay my FEE-HELP Loan?
For an overview of the FEE-HELP Loan scheme see: FEE-HELP - Full Fees and FEE-HELP
For a detailed brochure on the FEE-HELP Loan scheme see: FEE-HELP - Publications - Information Booklet for FEE-HELP
Am I eligible for FEE-HELP?
To be eligible for FEE-HELP you must:
- be a fee paying student
- meet the citizenship and residency requirements (be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who will reside in Australia for the duration of the program)
- ensure your course meets the course and unit requirements
- be enrolled in the program or course before the relevant Census Date
- not have exceeded the FEE-HELP limit
- have accurately completed your Request for FEE-HELP Assistance Form
Please note that permanent residents with a letter from an Australian admitting authority advising that you must undertake the PLT Program in order to be admitted to legal practice may also be eligible. You will study on a non-award basis and will not receive the award of the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice.
For further information on the eligibility requirements see: FEE-HELP Eligibility Requirements
How do I apply for a FEE-HELP Loan?
To apply for a FEE-HELP Loan to pay the tuition fees for one of our postgraduate programs, you are required to:
The Request for FEE-HELP Assistance Form is only available in hard copy and may be requested by completing this form.
For further information see: How Do I Apply for FEE-HELP Assistance?
How do I know if my request for FEE-HELP has been successful?
If your request for FEE-HELP is successful then our Enrolments staff will send you:
- an invoice showing that your tuition fees have been allocated to FEE-HELP, and the Commonwealth government will pay the cost of your tuition fees to the College on your behalf, and
- a copy of your Request for FEE-HELP Assistance Form
If there are any issues with your FEE-HELP Loan application our Enrolments staff will contact you directly using the telephone details you have provided to us. Generally, if your request for FEE-HELP is unsuccessful, it will be because:
- you have completed your form incorrectly, and need to submit a new form, or
- you are not eligible under the Commonwealth Government’s FEE-HELP eligibility criteria
How do I know if I’ve reached my FEE-HELP Loan limit?
You are able to monitor your student loans by logging into the Commonwealth Government’s MyUniAssist website. For more information see: About MyUniAssist
In order to log into the MyUniAssist site you will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN).
A CHESSN number is issued if you have received a Commonwealth Government student loan in the past, and can be found on any Commonwealth Assistance Notice you have received previously.
The CHESSN is a unique identifier that you will have for the rest of your academic life. For further information see: About Your CHESSN
What is a Commonwealth Assistance Notice?
Once the Census Date has passed we will issue you with a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) which details:
- your CHESSN number
- the program you are enrolled in
- the tuition fees for the program
- the nature of the Commonwealth Assistance you have received, and
- the amount of any up-front payments you might have made
Your CAN letter will be issued to you after the offering’s Census Date has passed, usually within 28 days.
For further information see: FEE-HELP - Your Commonwealth Assistance Notice
What is a Census Date?
The Census Date is the last day that a FEE-HELP student may withdraw from the program without financial penalty.
Please note that transferring or deferring students remain linked to the original Census Date and will acquire a Commonwealth debt after that date. If you do not wish to acquire a Commonwealth debt you must withdraw and pay the Early Withdrawal Penalty (detailed in the Program Fees) before the original Census Date.
There are a number of options available to repay your FEE-HELP Loan.
You can either make voluntary payments or compulsory payments through the tax system. For more information see: FEE-HELP Compulsory and Voluntary Loan Repayments
Are there any discounts for paying off my FEE-HELP Loan?
The Commonwealth Government offers discounts on voluntary payments over $500. For more information see: FEE-HELP Compulsory and Voluntary Loan Repayments
Additional Information
For more information on any of these matters, please visit the DEEWR website at www.deewr.gov.au or phone them on 1300 363 079. For further details, you may also see: FEE-HELP - Publications - Information Booklet for FEE-HELP, or visit http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist