FEE-HELP for Domestic Students | CHS

FEE-HELP

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What is FEE-HELP?

FEE-HELP is a loan from the Australian Government that eligible higher education students can use to pay all or part of their tuition fees. At the ECA College of Health Sciences (CHS), availability depends on your eligibility and the course and units you enrol in.

FEE-HELP cannot be used for accommodation, laptops or textbooks.

You must start making compulsory repayments through the Australian tax system when your repayment income exceeds the threshold for the relevant financial year. For the 2026–27 financial year, compulsory repayments apply when your repayment income is more than $69,528.

Is there a loan fee?

There are no loan fees for any of our postgraduate courses.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for FEE-HELP, you must be one of the following:

  • an Australian citizen who will study at least one unit of your course of study in Australia
  • a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, or eligible former New Zealand SCV holder who meets the long-term residency requirements and who studies the entire course while living in Australia
  • a permanent humanitarian visa holder or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder who studies the entire course while living in Australia
  • a Pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s)

You must also:

  • be enrolled in a full fee-paying place in an eligible higher education course
  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements
  • submit your FEE-HELP electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) to us on or before the relevant census date
  • have an available HELP balance
  • be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your unit(s) of study
  • not undertake more than two years’ worth of higher education study in 12 months unless formally approved by the College

For the full eligibility rules, visit StudyAssist: FEE-HELP.

How much can I borrow?

The Australian Government sets a HELP loan limit. Your available HELP balance is the amount you still have available to borrow under that limit.

Check your available balance through myHELPbalance before using FEE-HELP. If your tuition fees exceed the amount you can borrow, you will need to pay the difference upfront to the College. If your study information is not showing, please contact us for assistance.

Visit StudyAssist for the HELP loan limit that applies to your year of study.

How do I apply?

  • Arrange your Tax File Number (TFN) through the Australian Taxation Office if you do not already have one
  • Make sure you have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) and provide it to us by the relevant census date. For more information, visit usi.gov.au
  • Read the current FEE-HELP Information Booklet and FEE-HELP Fact Sheet
  • After accepting your offer of enrolment, please tell us that you wish to apply for FEE-HELP. We will then provide access to the FEE-HELP electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF)
  • Complete the eCAF with your USI, TFN and personal details, and submit it on or before the relevant census date. Make sure your details match your TFN and USI records. Keep a copy of your submitted eCAF

Waiting for your TFN? Provide us with an ATO Certificate of application for a TFN on or before the census date. Applying for a TFN alone, or providing an Australia Post receipt, is not sufficient. You must then provide your TFN within 21 days from the date the ATO issues your TFN advice.

If you do not submit your eCAF and meet the relevant requirements by the census date, you cannot use FEE-HELP for the affected units and must pay those tuition fees directly to the College.

How do I repay my FEE-HELP debt?

You must make compulsory repayments when your repayment income exceeds the threshold for the relevant financial year. The ATO calculates your compulsory repayment through the tax system. You can also make voluntary repayments. Repayment income can include amounts other than wages.

Indexation is applied on 1 June each year to the portion of your HELP debt that is more than 11 months old. It increases the amount owing on that portion of your debt. The rate changes each year and is based on the lower of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or Wage Price Index (WPI).

For current thresholds and repayment rates, see StudyAssist: Loan repayments. For more information about indexation, see StudyAssist: Loan increases and indexation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the census date?

The census date for a unit is:

  • the last day to withdraw from the unit without being charged its tuition fee or incurring a FEE-HELP debt
  • the deadline to submit your FEE-HELP eCAF and meet the applicable requirements for the unit.

Check the census date for each unit and trimester in the Academic Calendar. Intensive trimesters may have a different census date.

To withdraw from a unit, follow our Enrolment Policy and complete the Student Enquiry Form. To withdraw from your course, submit the online Course Withdrawal Form. Submit your withdrawal request through the appropriate process on or before the relevant census date to avoid tuition fees or a FEE-HELP debt for the affected units.

Simply stopping attendance does not withdraw you from a unit or course. Please contact us if you need help changing your enrolment.

You will normally remain responsible for the tuition fees and any FEE-HELP debt for the affected units.

If special circumstances prevent you from completing a unit, you may be eligible to have the related debt removed and your available HELP balance restored. We must assess applications against the government’s requirements and in accordance with our Refund Policy. Eligibility criteria, evidence requirements and application time limits apply.

Please read our Refund Policy for information about refunds and FEE-HELP re-credit applications. StudyAssist explains the government’s special-circumstances requirements and review rights.

Your Unique Student Identifier (USI) is your personal education identifier. It stays with you for life. You need a USI to be eligible for FEE-HELP. For more information, visit usi.gov.au.

Tuition fees for courses are listed on the Fees and Scholarships page. Equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) values are listed on the relevant course pages.

FEE-HELP is available to eligible students for units studied while enrolled in any of our accredited higher education courses. Check the FEE-HELP information on the relevant course page before enrolling, or contact us if you are unsure whether your proposed enrolment qualifies.

Students may wish to study one or more higher education units with us as non-award units for purposes such as professional development or personal interest without having to enrol in the full course. Non-award subjects are not eligible for FEE-HELP.

For questions about applying for FEE-HELP, please email [email protected]. For general information about HELP loans, please visit StudyAssist.