Commonwealth Assisted Students
HECS-Higher Education Loan Program (HECS-HELP)
HECS-HELP is available for eligible Commonwealth supported students, information on eligibility is available at www.goingtouni.gov.au. Students eligible to use HECS-HELP can pay their student contribution in three different ways.
- Pay all of your student contribution up front;
- Receive a HECS-HELP loan for the full student contribution; or
- Pay some of the student contribution up front and receive a HECS-HELP loan for the remainder of the student contribution.
If you receive a HECS-HELP loan, the government pays the loan amount directly to the University on the your behalf and a HECS-HELP debt is recorded for you with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
If you are an Australian citizen or holder of a permanent humanitarian visa and you pay all, or at least $500 of your student contribution up front, then you will receive a 20% discount on the amount paid up front.
Transitional arrangements will be in place to the end of 2008 to allow for students that commenced under HECS prior to 2005 to complete their current program under the conditions that existed when they commenced.
Fee Higher Education Loan Program (FEE-HELP)
FEE-HELP is available for eligible fee paying students, i.e. Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa in a fee-paying place (postgraduate or undergraduate). Students who are undertaking a bridging program for overseas trained professionals may also be eligible to access FEE-HELP to assist with the cost of their tuition.
If you are eligible for and apply for FEE-HELP you may pay your tuition fee in three different ways:
- Pay the full tuition fee up front;
- Receive a FEE-HELP loan for the full tuition fee; or
- Pay some of the tuition fee up front and receive a FEE-HELP loan for the remainder of the tuition fee.
If you receive a FEE-HELP loan, the government pays the loan amount directly to the University on your behalf and a FEE-HELP debt is recorded for you with the ATO.
A 20% loan fee applies to undergraduate FEE-HELP loan amounts when the debt is created (for example, a loan for tuition fees of $1,000, will attract a loan fee of $200, so that the debt is $1,200).
From January 2008, the FEE-HELP limit will be $81,600 for all courses except medicine and dentistry, for which the FEE-HELP limit is $102,000 (this limit excludes the loan fee).
Commonwealth Assistance Notices
Soon after each census date we will provide all Commonwealth Supported or Assisted Students a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). We will make this notice available to you online through Access Adelaide and will advise you via your University of Adelaide student email account when available. The CAN will include information on your Student Learning Entitlement usage, your HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP assistance, as well as a range of other information that relates to your situation at the census date.
If you believe that the CAN is incorrect you should contact Student Finance and request that your CAN be corrected. You have 14 days from the date of the CAN to make this request.
Applying for a Remission or a Refund
For information on the policy and procedures for applying for a SLE re-credit and remission of HECS HELP debt; a remission of a FEE-HELP debt; or a refund of Tuition or upfront student contribution view the Student Administration, Fees & Charges policies available at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/67
If your application is successful, your remission or refund will be determined based on how your payments have been allocated. Please read Payment Priorities for an explanation of our payment allocation rules.
OS-HELP
OS-HELP provides financial assistance to eligible students who undertake part of their course of study overseas. OS-HELP assistance may be used to cover expenses associated with the overseas study, such as airfares, accommodation and other travel or settling expenses.
Australian Citizens who are enrolled in an undergraduate academic program as a Commonwealth Supported Student and have completed at least 1 year of study may be eligible to apply for OS-HELP.
OS-HELP loans are awarded in relation to a six month study period and eligible students may be awarded a maximum of 2 OS-HELP loans for 2 separate study periods providing the study periods do not overlap.
Eligibility
You are entitled to apply for an OS-HELP loan in regard to a six month study period overseas if you:
are an Australian citizen or a holder of a permanent humanitarian visa; and
- have not received an OS-HELP loan on more than one other occasion; and
- are enrolled in an undergraduate program at the University of Adelaide; and
- have already completed at least 1 year (24 units) of study in Australia as a Commonwealth Supported student that counts towards your undergraduate program at the University of Adelaide; and
- will be enrolled full time with an overseas higher education institution or the overseas campus of an Australian higher education and be outside of Australia whilst undertaking that study; and
- have your study outside of Australia count towards your undergraduate program at the University of Adelaide; and
- have, on your return from studies overseas, at least one semester (12 units) of study to complete the requirements of the undergraduate program in which you are enrolled in at the University of Adelaide and for which the application relates; and
- have not received any other OS-HELP loan for a period that overlaps or coincides with your six month study period; and
- have not completed your overseas study before making the application for an OS-HELP loan.
Loan Details
You may borrow up to $5299 for each approved OS-HELP loan. Each loan will attract a 20% loan fee and as a result your OS-HELP debt will be 120% of the OS-HELP loan. For example, if you borrow $5000 the debt you will incur will be $5000 for the loan plus and additional $1000 loan fee, and you will therefore need to repay $6000.
If you are studying overseas for two study periods you may apply for a second loan. You can do this at the time that you apply for the first loan or at a later date. Your second loan can only be paid after your loan eligibility is confirmed and no earlier than six weeks prior to the beginning of the second study period.
Selection Criteria
Generally it is expected that students applying for OS_HELP assistance would have a Grade Point Average (GPA) at credit level or above. Under the system used in Australian universities this means a GPA of 5.00 or above.
Where there are more applications than funding available, loans will be allocated on academic merit. Students will be ranked in order of their Grade Point Average (GPA) and loans awarded until the University’s loan funding is allocated or until all students with a GPA of 5.00 or better have been awarded funding.
The University may exercise discretion if applicants feel that their GPA has been adversely affected by circumstances beyond their control.
Application
To apply you must complete an OS-HELP application form and an OS-HELP Debt Confirmation Form. These forms are available from the International Office, Level 5 Oliphant Building, or the Student Centre, level 5 Wills Building. Completed forms can be returned to the International Office or the Student Centre.
Payment
Loans cannot be paid to approved applicants earlier than 6 weeks before the commencement of the study period. Payment will be made into your nominated bank account as soon as possible after your application has been approved within the 6 week timeframe described above.
You are deemed to have incurred an OS-HELP debt (OS-HELP loan plus the 20% loan fee) on the day that you receive your loan.
Loan Withdrawal
Before you are paid
If you are OS-HELP application is approved and your circumstances change and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria or it is determined that you have provided false or misleading information the University will withdraw your loan approval.
After you have been paid
If you are OS-HELP application is approved and your circumstances change and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria the debt has already been incurred and you can only repay this through the Australian taxation Office.
If you are OS-HELP application is approved it is determined that you have provided false or misleading information, the University must notify the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations immediately.
Further Information
Further information is available via the University of Adelaide Policy site at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/?681, or at www.goingtouni.gov.au
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