Terms and Conditions and Obligations for FEE-HELP
When you complete either the paper based form or the online eCaf form and submit the forms you have ticked a box and declared that you understand your obligations.
These obligations are:
- you have read the FEE-HELP information booklet and are aware of your obligations if you receive FEE-HELP assistance.
- you understand, over your lifetime, the amount of FEE-HELP assistance (and FEE-HELP assistance) that you access must not exceed the FEE-HELP limit.
- you understand that it is your responsibility to be aware of your FEE-HELP balance and to advise your institution(s) (and VET Student Loans providers if applicable) if you are approaching the FEE-HELP limit and may not have enough FEE-HELP balance to cover your tuition fees. In this situation, you will advise each relevant institution of how much FEE-HELP (or VET Student Loans) assistance you wish to access for your units of study.
- you understand the statements below relating to repayments of FEE-HELP debts (and refunds under special circumstances).
- you understand that under the Act, the term 'Commonwealth supported student' refers to a student who is enrolled in a 'Commonwealth supported place' - a subsidised higher education place (visit www.studyassist.gov.au for more information). A student accessing FEE-HELP (or VET Student Loans) is not a 'Commonwealth supported student'.
You also declared that:
- you have read the FEE-HELP information booklet and are aware of your obligations if you receive FEE-HELP assistance;
- the information on the form is complete and correct and you can produce documents to verify this if required.
You request that:
- The Commonwealth will lend you the amount of the tuition fees for the units in your course of study outstanding at the census date and to use the amount so lent to pay your institution on your behalf.
You understand that:
- a 25% loan fee will be applied to the amount of FEE-HELP assistance if it relates to an undergraduate course of study, and that this loan fee will be included in your FEE-HELP debt;
- you will repay to the ATO the amount that the Commonwealth has loaned to you (plus the loan fee if applicable). These repayments will be made in accordance with Chapter 4 of the Act when your income reaches a certain level, even if you have not completed your studies;
- your HELP debt will be indexed annually in line with the Act;
- you will not be able to obtain FEE-HELP assistance if you do not meet the TFN requirements;
- you will no longer be able to obtain FEE-HELP assistance (or VET Student Loans assistance) when the total amount of FEE-HELP assistance you have obtained reaches the FEE-HELP limit as set out in the Act;
- you are able to cancel this request, in writing, at any time, with your institution, and that it will no longer apply from that time. However, this must be done by the census date, otherwise you will have a debt to the Australian Government that you are legally required to repay;
- if your eligibility for FEE-HELP changes, you must notify your institution;
- The Department of Education collects your information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles for the purpose of administering Commonwealth assistance, including verifying eligibility for a HELP loan. It is also collected for the purpose of research, statistics and programme assurance. If you do not provide the information required on this form you may not be eligible for Commonwealth Assistance;
- the authority to collect and share this information with other government agencies including, but not limited to, the ATO and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for the purpose of verifying your eligibility is contained in Part 5-4 Division 179-20 of the Act;
- the information may not otherwise be disclosed without your consent unless authorised or required by law;
- full details of how the department handles personal information for the purpose of the Higher Education Loan Programme can be found at www.studyassist.gov.au;
- the Department of Education, Skills and Employment's Privacy Policy including information on access and correction of personal information and how to make a complaint, can be found at www.education.gov.au/condensed-privacy-policy; and
- giving false or misleading information is a serious offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995.