Government HELP loan FAQs

How is my available HELP balance calculated?

It is your responsibility to keep track of your HELP loan borrowings to ensure you do not exceed the HELP loan limit.

Your available HELP balance is your HELP loan limit of that given year, minus your HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP and VET students loans borrowing.

Taking out a loan will reduce your available HELP balance, and making repayment will increase your available HELP balance.

What is the combined HELP loan limit?

The combined HELP loan limit is a cap on what you can borrow from the Australian Government to cover the costs of your tuition fees. It includes all FEE-HELP. VET FEE-HELP, VET student loans and HECS-HELP (with a census date from 1 January 2020). You can find the most up-to-date information on HELP loan limits on the StudyAssist website.

How much can I borrow?

Once you begin using your HELP loan limit, the amount of HELP you have left to borrow is know as your available HELP balance. It is your responsibility to keep track of your HELP loans and repayments to ensure you have enough available HELP balance to pay for your study. You can borrow up to the combined HELP loan limit detailed below.

How do I cancel a HELP loan?

• HECS-HELP If you don't want to use HECS-HELP, you will need to cancel your form by completing a new Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) in StudentConnect and select the upfront payment option. You will need to do this yourself as we cannot cancel this form for you. If you discontinue or complete your course, your form will cease automatically.
• FEE-HELP If you want to cancel your FEE-HELP form you will need to send an email to the University to requesting to cancel your FEE-HELP form. If you discontinue or complete your course, your form will cease automatically.
• SA-HELP If you want to cancel your SA-HELP form you will need to send an email to the University to requesting to cancel your SA-HELP form. If you discontinue or complete your course, your form will cease automatically.
• OS-HELP You cannot cancel an OS-HELP loan after payment is made. If your OS-HELP loan has not been paid, and you no longer want to proceed, you must immediately request your loan be cancelled by email to the University.

What is my CHESSN?

Your CHESSN is your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number. It is a unique, personal identification number that helps you keep up to date with the amount of Commonwealth assistance (like a HELP loan) you have used for your studies. Your CHESSN is available on your Commonwealth Assistance Notice.

What is a Unique Student Identifier?

You will need a USI (Unique Student Identifier) to be eligible for Commonwealth assistance. The types of assistance include a Commonwealth supported place (CSP) and HELP loans such as HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, SA-HELP, OS-HELP.

Your USI is your individual education number for life. It also creates an online record of your Australian training achievements.

Do I still incur a HELP debt even if I don't finish my course?

Yes. If you remain enrolled in a unit of study after the census date, you will incur tuition fees for that unit. If you have submitted a request for HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP or SA-HELP, your tuition fees will be deferred to your HELP debt.

How can I keep track of my HELP balance?

Using myHELPbalance will help you track your loan usage and your HELP balance.

As a New Zealand citizen, can I get HELP?

Eligible New Zealand students can defer their tuition fees to a HELP loan, similar to Australian citizens. To be eligible for a HELP loan you must:

• be a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder or formerly be a Special Category Visa holder and on a pathway to Australian citizenship
• have first began to be usually resident in Australia at least 10 years ago
• have been a child under the age of 18 with no spouse or de facto partner when you first began to be usually resident in Australia, and
• have been in Australia for at least:
  • a total of eight out of the past 10 years (from when you apply for the loan), and
  • a total of 18 months out of the last two years (from when you apply for the loan).

To prove your eligibility and to enable us to give you the option to use HELP in StudentConnect, you must provide a copy of your International Movement Record (IMR) showing the first date you arrived in Australia. This can be obtained by lodging a Request for International Movement Records form, available at Australian Border Force.

Once you receive your IMR, please submit an enquiry via our Student Central enquiry form along with the document. Once we check your IMR and if you are eligible to defer your fees to HECS-HELP as a New Zealand citizen, we will update your record and advise so you can apply for a HELP loan on StudentConnect

You must provide your IMR before census date to defer your fees for the current study period. If you receive this after the study period census date this will not take effect until the next study period.

Further information can be found on StudyAssist website.