Government HELP schemes

Higher education loan programme (HELP)

From 1 January 2020, the Combined HELP Loan Limit and Renewable HELP balance, will apply to all students who access a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan. For more information visit the Study Assist loan limit site. 

If you are:

  • an Australian citizen AND you will undertake at least one subject contributing to your course within Australia; OR
  • a current or previous holder of an permanent humanitarian visa*
  • an New Zealand citizen who is also a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, and you meet the requisite residency criteria, you may be eligible to access HELP loans.

a higher education loan programme (HELP) can help you with particular costs associated with higher education.

Most HELP loans allow you to defer your debt to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and your debt is indexed to the consumer price index (CPI).

Repayments for all HELP loans are contingent on income. Once your income reaches the repayment thresholds you must make compulsory repayments towards your HELP debt.

The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2024-2025 income year is $54,435.

For more information about making voluntary payments directly to the ATO, please visit the ATO website.

There are four HELP programmes:

  • HECS-HELP - a loan scheme to help eligible commonwealth supported students pay their student tuition fee contributions.
  • FEE-HELP - a loan scheme to help eligible domestic full fee paying students pay tuition fees.
  • OS-HELP - a loan available to eligible students who undertake some of their course overseas.
  • SA-HELP - a loan scheme that allows eligible students to defer payment of the Student Services and Amenities Fee.

Checking your HELP balance

Your myGov account will show you how much you owe and any repayments you have made.

The myHELPbalance portal will show your available HELP balance (the amount you have available to borrow using HELP loans). 

Please note: myHELPbalance portal does not

  • show how much you owe,
  • show loan fees or indexation on your debt, or
  • include any debts incurred before 2005

You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) or Unique Student Identifier (USI), a student ID from any university, higher education provider or VET Student Loans provider you have studied at, and your first name, last name and date of birth to access myHELPbalance.

The HELP loan limit is $121,844 in 2024.  In 2025 the HELP loan limit is $126,839.  The loan limit is indexed each year.   

HECS-HELP

If you are Commonwealth supported student who is:

  • an Australian citizen and you will undertake in Australia at least one subject contributing to your course, or
  • a holder of an permanent humanitarian visa* or
  • a New Zealand citizen who is also a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, and you meet the requisite residency criteria, you may be eligible
  • providing your Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date unless an exemption applies
  • meet the completion rate requirements

then you are eligible for the HECS-HELP scheme.

You are not eligible for HECS-HELP and you are required to pay the full student contributions as an upfront payment if you are:

  • the holder of a permanent resident visa, or
  • a New Zealand citizen who does not meet the eligibility requirements.
     

If you are eligible for HECS-HELP you have a number of options when it comes to paying your student tuition fee contributions. You can:

  • make a full upfront payment of your student tuition fee contributions for all the units of study you are enrolled in
  • pay part of your student contribution upfront, and obtain a HECS-HELP loan or the remainder;
  • obtain a HECS-HELP loan for the full amount of your student tuition fee contribution.

*HECS-HELP up-front discount (*The government has ended the 10% discount for students making a payment of their student contribution amount upfront. This has taken effect from 1 January 2023.) More information can be found in Study Assist.

More detailed information can be found in the booklet HECS-HELP Information 2025 (opens an external site). Please read this booklet prior to completing and submitting your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF).

The HECS-HELP Benefit is available to eligible graduates of courses in the fields of:

  • mathematics, statistics or science
  • education, nursing or midwifery
  • early childhood education.

The benefit is not a cash payment. It is a benefit that reduces your compulsory HELP repayment or for some early childhood educators, your accumulated HELP debt. For more information, contact the Australian Tax Office (opens an external site).

You are responsible for ensuring that you have sufficient HELP balance to cover any tuition fees you wish to defer. You can check your available HELP balance at myHELPblance. To log in, in addition to your personal details (date of birth, first and last name), you will also need your CHESSN/USI and student ID number.   

FEE-HELP

You may be eligible for the FEE-HELP loan scheme if you are a domestic full tuition fee-paying student who is:

  • an Australian citizen, and will undertake, in Australia, at least one subject contributing to your course within Australia, or
  • a holder of an permanent humanitarian visa*, or
  • a holder of a permanent visa who is undertaking a bridging course for overseas-trained professionals, who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit or
  • a New Zealand citizen who is also a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, and you meet the requisite residency criteria, you may be eligible
  • provide your Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date unless an exemption applies
  • maintain a completion rate of 50 per cent or above

The FEE-HELP loan scheme can assist eligible students to pay their tuition fees, by offering a HELP loan. FEE-HELP does not cover any other fees that might be payable as a result of your enrolment.

If you are eligible, FEE-HELP can cover all or part of your tuition fees, to a maximum amount - the HELP loan limit, over your lifetime.

The HELP loan limit is $121,844 in 2024.  In 2025 the HELP loan limit is $126,839.  The loan limit is indexed each year.   

If you request FEE-HELP you are responsible for ensuring that you have sufficient HELP balance to cover any tuition fees you wish to defer. You can check your available HELP balance at myHELPblance. To log in, in addition to your personal details (date of birth, first and last name), you will also need your CHESSN/USI and student ID number.   

A loan fee of 20% applies to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study.    The FEE-HELP loan limit does not include the loan fee.

Further information can be found in the booklet FEE-HELP Information 2025 (opens an external site). Please read this booklet prior to completing and submitting your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF).

SA-HELP

If you have been charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee and you are an:

  • an Australian citizen, and you will undertake, in Australia, at least one subject contributing to your course within Australia, or
  • a holder of an permanent humanitarian visa* or
  • a New Zealand citizen who is also a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, and you meet the requisite residency criteria, you may be eligible then you may be eligible for the SA-HELP scheme.

The SA-HELP scheme allows you to defer payment of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).

More detailed information can be found in the booklet SA-HELP Information 2025 (opens an external site). Please read this booklet prior to completing and submitting your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF).

* You are considered to be a permanent humanitarian visa holder if you hold a permanent visa of a humanitarian sub-class as determined by the Department of Home Affairs.

New Zealand citizens 

If you are a New Zealand citizen who is also a Special Category Visa (SCV) holder, and you meet the requisite residency criteria, you may be eligible to access HELP loans.

This includes access to:

  • HECS-HELP; SA-HELP and OS-HELP for Commonwealth Supported students
  • FEE-HELP and SA-HELP for Domestic Fee-Paying students
  • SA-HELP for Domestic Higher Degree by Research students.

Am I eligible?

If you are a New Zealand citizen holding a Special Category Visa (SCV)*, and you meet all the following criteria, you may be eligible for HELP assistance:

  • you first entered Australia as a dependent minor aged under 18 years of age
  • at that time you did not have a spouse or de facto partner
  • you have been physically present in Australia for at least 8 out of the past 10 years (meaning they first arrived 10 years ago as a dependent minor) and 18 months out of the past 2 years
  • you meet the other eligibility criteria for HELP assistance under the Higher Education Support Act (2003).

* If you also hold an Australian Permanent Resident visa, your SCV will cease, and you will not be eligible for HELP.

What proof do I need to provide?

Please obtain copies of your international movement records from the Department of Home Affairs by lodging a Request for International Movement Records.

How do I apply?

Step 1:

Complete and lodge your request for Commonwealth assistance form (CAF) online though My Student Admin prior to the Census date of the current teaching period.

Note: Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students: your form will have a status of ‘Approved’ – this indicates approval of your Commonwealth Supported Place ONLY. Eligibility to access HECS-HELP to defer your fees, or to receive the upfront payment discount, will only be assessed and confirmed as part of Step 2 below.

FEE-HELP and SA-HELP: your form will have a status of ‘Submitted by Student’. This indicates that you have not yet been assessed as eligible to receive HELP and you must complete Step 2 below.

Step 2:

Submit a copy of the movement record at a Student Centre or via Ask UTS.

Once you are assessed as eligible to access HELP this will be confirmed in writing to your UTS student email address and the status of your CAF as showing in My Student Admin will then be updated.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.