Fees and scholarships

FEE-HELP

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme from the Australian Government to help you pay all or part of your tuition fees if you're a fee-paying student.

What the loan covers

FEE-HELP is a loan program to assist eligible fee paying students to pay their tuition fees at university. If you take out a FEE-HELP loan, the Australian Government pays the loan amount directly to Deakin on your behalf and a HELP loan debt is recorded for you with the Australian Taxation Office. You pay back your HELP loan when your employment income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold – currently $46,620.

FEE-HELP isn't means tested. Neither your income, nor the income of a partner or your family, will affect your eligibility.

The loan doesn’t cover your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF), but if you're eligible, you can use SA-HELP to cover this fee.

Who is eligible?

You must:

  • be an Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen, holder of a permanent humanitarian visa or a permanent resident who is undertaking a bridging course for overseas-trained professionals
  • meet residency requirements
  • meet the tax file number (TFN) requirements by providing your TFN or a certificate of application for a TFN from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
  • be a fee-paying student
  • be studying an eligible course
  • not exceeded your HELP limit.

Eligible courses are:

  • accredited undergraduate and postgraduate award programs
  • bridging courses for overseas-trained professionals to enable them to meet entry requirements for their profession in Australia
  • courses to enable students to meet the requirements for entry into an award program.

Learn more about CSPs and fee-paying places

How it works

The Government pays the loan amount directly to Deakin on your behalf and a HELP debt is recorded for you with the ATO.

You'll be issued with a Commonwealth Assistance notice (eCAN) each enrolled study period. This will detail any amount deferred to the ATO.

You can make payments directly to Deakin before the invoice due date. Alternatively, once the FEE-HELP debt has been reported to the ATO you can make voluntary repayments directly to them of any amount.

FEE-HELP applies for the duration of your course so if you temporarily suspend your studies your FEE-HELP form will remain in place. If you transfer to another course you will need to complete a new FEE-HELP form.

HELP loan limit

The HELP loan limit is the maximum that you can borrow over your lifetime. This excludes the loan fee of 25%, which is applied to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study.

2020 limits

  • All courses except medicine, dentistry and veterinary science: $106,319
  • Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses: $152,700

2021 limits

  • All courses except medicine, dentistry and veterinary science: $108,232
  • Medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses: $155,448

How to apply

To apply for FEE-HELP, complete a Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) on StudentConnect when you enrol.

FEE-HELP applies for the duration of your course and carries over for each study period. If you change courses or start a new one, you'll need to complete another eCAF.

More information

To find out more about FEE-HELP loans, eligibility and repayments, explore the Australian Government’s Study Assist website.

Visit the Study Assist website

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