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HECS-HELP
If you have a Commonwealth supported place in your course, you may be eligible to defer your student contribution through HECS-HELP.
- Overview and eligibility
- How to apply
- What happens next
Overview and eligibility
HECS-HELP is a government loan scheme assisting eligible students to defer their student contribution through a loan.
Any amount deferred through HECS-HELP becomes part of an accumulated HELP debt, which you will be required to repay through the tax system once you meet a certain salary threshold.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for HECS-HELP, you need to:
- be enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)*
- be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder
- meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements
- be a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements. You will be required to provide evidence of this to the University.
*If you are a New Zealand citizen, a permanent visa holder or a permanent humanitarian visa holder, you need to be in Australia for the duration of your study to be eligible for a CSP, as outlined in the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (part 3-2, 90-5).
Eligibility criteria and legislation around HECS-HELP can change. See the Study Assist website for full details.
If you’re an Australian permanent resident visa holder (excluding a permanent humanitarian visa holder) or a New Zealand citizen who is currently not eligible for HECS-HELP assistance, you are required to pay your student contribution up front.
Additional eligibility - completion rate
From 1 January 2022, if you start a course or transfer into a new course, you must pass at least 50 per cent of the units you attempt (not including any units withdrawn before the census date) if you are:
- in a Commonwealth supported place (CSP)
- receiving assistance through a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan.
The pass rate applies once you complete eight units, regardless of credit point value.
If you started your course before 2022, this requirement does not apply.
Find out more about the completion rate and how it affects you on the Study Asssist website.
Last updated: 21 February 2022
