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FEE-HELP is a loan program to assist eligible fee paying domestic students to pay their tuition fees in Higher Education. If you take out a FEE-HELP loan, the Australian Government pays the loan amount directly to SCEI-HE on your behalf. You will be responsible for any gap amount in the tuition fees, which are not covered by the loan. You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).You do not have to use a FEE-HELP loan to pay your tuition fees. You can choose to pay all your tuition fees upfront, or you can pay some upfront and use a FEE-HELP loan for the rest, or use a FEE-HELP loan for all your tuition fees (up to your FEE-HELP limit).FEE-HELP is only available to eligible fee paying domestic students. These students are enrolled in fee paying places at providers and charged tuition fees for their studies.
Step 1 . Before you apply
ØRead the government information booklet:
Access and Read 2024 FEE-HELP information booklet – Study Assist, Australian Government
Ø Citizenship requirements
o an Australian citizen, who studies at least one unit of your course while living in Australia
o a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, or an eligible former New Zealand SCV holder, who meets the long-term residency requirements, and who studies your entire course while living in Australia
o a permanent humanitarian visa holder, or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder, who studies your entire course while living in Australia
o a Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) holder, who studies your entire course while living in Australia.
o an Australian permanent resident who has been approved for bridging studies
Ø Have a valid USI (Unique Student Identifier)
From 1 January 2023, all higher education students, including those who commenced prior to 2021, must have a USI in order to graduate and receive their award. This includes all students who started before 2021, and all onshore international students. Continuing students should also get their USI as soon as possible. A USI is a student’s lifelong education number.
Create and submit your USI for verification – Australian Government – USI
Ø Have a valid TFN (Tax File Number)
When we submit your HELP loan data to the government, your TFN is verified against Australian Taxation Office data. Your TFN must be verified before your census date for you to be eligible to receive the loan.Ensure you have a TAX File Number – You can apply for a tax file number on the ATO website.
Ø Check FEE-HELP loan limit
There’s a combined limit to how much you can borrow under HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, and VET Student Loans. This is called your HELP loan limit.
o If you’ve reached your combined HELP loan limit, you’ll need to pay your tuition fees before the census date to ensure that your enrolment isn’t cancelled.
o How to check your combined HELP loan limit?
§ Find out your current HELP limit, and how much of your HELP balance you have left to borrow by visiting myHELP balance portal.
§ More information can be found on the Study Assist
Step 2. Apply to the course
Ø Let us know if you intend to apply for FEE-HELP
You will require to let us know through APPLY NOW if you intend to apply for Fee-Help
Ø Confirm your application via government ecaf portal
o If you indicated you want to access a loan, the Department of Education Skills and Employment will send instructions to your SCEI-HE student email account. Follow these to log in to the government’s eCAF portal
o Submit the Request for FEE-HELP Ecaf to your provider by the census date
o Once you submit your eCAF, with a validated Tax File Number, it will be approved and a loan approval letter will be issued to you the next day.
Step 3 . Track on the Invoice, Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) and Census Date
Ø Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN)
SCEI-HE will issue students the CAN within 28 days of the earliest census date indicated in the CAN. A notification email will be sent to your SCEI-HE student email account and your nominated personal email when your CAN is available. When you believe the information on the CAN is incorrect, you may, within 14 days of the CAN being given, ask in writing for the CAN to be corrected.
Ø Census Date
SCEI-HE set a census date for each unit of study it provides, or proposes to provide, during a year. It is important to be aware of your subject census date(s) and how they impact your enrolment, fees and academic record.
o It is the last date before which you can withdraw from a unit and not incur a HELP debt in respect of that unit
o it is the last date before which you must submit requests for FEE-HELP
o your enrolment in a unit will be cancelled by SCEI-HE if that person fails to successfully submit a ‘request for Commonwealth assistance form’ by the census date; and
o it is the date after which any special circumstances are taken to apply.