1. Intranet
  2. Campus Central
  3. Fees and finance
  4. Domestic fee-paying students
  5. FEE-HELP

FEE-HELP

The Higher Education Loan Program includes a loan scheme called FEE-HELP for domestic fee paying students. Eligible students can take out a FEE-HELP loan to assist with their tuition fees. The Australian Government sets the maximum FEE-HELP lifetime loan limit each year. No loan obtained prior to 2005, under the Postgraduate Education Loans Scheme (PELS), is included in your lifetime FEE-HELP limit.

Eligible students may choose to defer some, or all, of their tuition fees to FEE-HELP by completing a Request for FEE-HELP Assistance form.

To find out more about FEE-HELP you should read the FEE-HELP information booklet available from the Australian Government's Study Assist website.

Eligibility for FEE-HELP

You are eligible for FEE-HELP if you:

  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements. That is, you must be either:
    • an Australian citizen who will be living in Australia for part of your program, or
    • the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who will be living in Australia for the duration of your program, or
    • the holder of a permanent visa who is undertaking bridging study for overseas-trained professionals who will be resident in Australian for the duration of your program, or
    • a New Zealand Special Category Visa (NZ SCV) holder, or formerly be a Special Category Visa holder and on a pathway to Australian citizenship who meets ALL the long-term residency requirements, and who will be living in Australia for the duration of your program. See studyassist.gov.au for more information.
  • have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit. It is your responsibility to be aware of your FEE-HELP balance and to advise the university if you do not have sufficient FEE-HELP balance to cover your tuition fee.

You must also:

  • submit an online Commonwealth Assistance Form (CAF) via myEnrolment for your fee paying program on or before the census date, and
  • supply your Tax File Number (TFN) when completing your online CAF

Applying for FEE-HELP assistance

To obtain a FEE-HELP loan for all or part of your tuition fee, you must complete a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form or complete the Commonwealth Assistance Form (CAF) via myEnrolment and include your Tax File Number (TFN) when completing your online CAF.

New Zealand students eligible for FEE-HELP will need to contact StudentFinance.Enrolments@unisa.edu.au to obtain a hard copy CAF.

If you choose not to provide your TFN, you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

If you cannot quote your TFN when you enrol, you should obtain a TFN, or a Certificate of application for a tax file number (TFN) from the Tax Office stating that you have applied for one, and provide it to student finance or Campus Central on or before the census date. If you cannot quote your TFN or supply a Certificate of application on or before the census date, you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan. TFNs are used to enable the University to advise the Tax Office of the amount of your debt.

If you provided the University with your Certificate of application for a TFN as proof that you had applied, you have 21 days from the day the Tax Office issues you with a Tax File Number Advice to quote your TFN to the University otherwise you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Invoicing with a FEE-HELP loan

If you are eligible and have applied for a FEE-HELP loan prior to the commencement of the study period of your enrolment you will not receive an invoice for your tuition fees as your fees will have been deferred and therefore are not outstanding.  UniSA invoices only for outstanding charges.

If you wish to pay for some of your tuition fees and require an invoice please contact student finance to arrange this.