OS-HELP FAQs

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Please read this page before completing an OS-HELP application form.

Application and payment

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I have applied for OS-HELP. When will I be notified of the outcome?

If I am eligible for an OS-HELP loan, what happens next?

If you meet the eligibility criteria:

a conditional* OS-HELP offer will be emailed to you, and
you will receive an email from the Department of Education with a link to the OS-HELP electronic Commonwealth assistance form (eCAF). You must complete the eCAF to access an OS-HELP loan.

Once your eCAF is complete and we receive your forms, your eligibility will be re-checked and your payment will be processed.

_{*Conditional means we will check your eligibility again just before payment}

When will my OS-HELP loan be paid?

Once you have completed the Government eCAF, and your eligibility is confirmed, payment of your loan should be made by electronic funds transfer within ten (10) business to your nominated Australian bank account. You will be notified of this payment through your Deakin email address.

This process may be delayed if you have not provided your bank details in Student Connect.

What happens if the OS-HELP loan has been paid, but my circumstances have changed?

Before being paid: If you are offered an OS-HELP loan and your circumstances change and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, or no longer require the OS-HELP loan, or it is determined that you have provided false or misleading information, Deakin is obliged to withdraw the loan offer.

After being paid: If the loan has already been paid to you and your circumstances change and you are no longer eligible or able to study overseas, the debt has already been incurred and you will need to repay the debt through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

If it is discovered, or there is reason to believe that you provided false or misleading information as part of the application process, and you have already incurred an OS-HELP debt, Deakin must notify the Department of Education immediately of the suspected offence.

If I am studying for 12 months overseas, am I eligible for a second loan?

If you are studying overseas for two consecutive six month periods, you could apply for a second loan.

OS-HELP is built on the idea of a six‑month study period. If you apply for a second loan it can only be paid six months after your initial study commencement date. A second loan application will need to be completed and we will still need to confirm you are eligible to receive this second loan. On each OS-HELP loan application, please ensure the dates listed represent each study period and not generic dates for the entire year.

You are only eligible to access up to two loans from any Australian higher education provider in your lifetime.

I am going on two separate overseas study tours. Am I eligible for a second loan?

If you are undertaking two separate study tours, you will only be eligible for a second OS-HELP loan when the start date of the second study tour is more than six months after the start date of the first study tour. A second loan application will need to be completed and we will need to confirm you are eligible to receive this second loan. On each OS-HELP loan application, please ensure the dates listed represent each study tour.

You are only eligible to access up to two loans from any Australian higher education provider in your lifetime.

What if I have a question about OS-HELP that's not listed here?

Studying in Asia

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What countries can I study in to be eligible for the increased maximum loan amount for overseas study in Asia? Can I also receive the supplementary amount for Asian language study?

You will be considered to be undertaking overseas study in Asia if you are undertaking study in at least one of the following countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Timor-Leste, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

What if I am studying in Asia, but not in one of the countries listed above?

What sort of study can I do to receive a supplementary amount for Asian language study?

Your Asian language study will need to help you prepare for your overseas study in Asia by providing general language skills you can use in your destination country.

The language study can be a short course undertaken at a language school, TAFE or other institution where you will incur a cost for that study.

However, you will not be able to receive a supplementary amount if your Asian language study is part of your course at Deakin where you are paying HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP (for example, Chinese 2A).

I would like to complete an Asian language study prior to my overseas program. What evidence do I need to provide with my application to obtain the supplementary amount?

You can provide one of the following with your application:

Proof of application for admission to the Asian language study.
Proof of enrolment in the Asian language study.
A statutory declaration detailing the type of language study to be undertaken, the provider of the language study, the language study commencement date and the cost of the study.