FEE-HELP Assistance

The deferred payment arrangements for postgraduate fee-paying students that existed under PELS and BOTPLS still exist but will now be known as FEE-HELP. FEE-HELP will assist postgraduate fee-paying students as PELS did. The FEE-HELP limit is the maximum amount a person can borrow under FEE-HELP over their lifetime. This limit excludes any loan fee. The FEE-HELP limit in 2012 is $112,134 for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science students (as defined in the Higher Education Support Act 2003) and $89,706 for all other courses (indexed annually).

Holders of permanent visas (other than Permanent Humanitarian visas) and New Zealand citizens are generally required to pay their tuition fees up-front, in full. These students are not eligible for FEE-HELP assistance.

Domestic Tuition Fees Schedule

Fee Paying Students

Generally, you will be eligible for FEE-HELP for a unit of study if you:

• Are undertaking study at an eligible higher education provider
• Meet the citizenship or residency requirements
• Are enrolled in an eligible unit of study on the Census date
• Are not Commonwealth Supported in relation to that unit
• Meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements
• Have completed, signed and submitted a valid ‘Request for FEE-HELP
• Assistance’ form on or before the Census date and
• Have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.

Australian citizens and holders of permanent humanitarian visas are generally eligible to apply for FEE-HELP assistance.

Request for FEE-HELP Assistance form

Any eligible student wishing to access FEE-HELP is required to submit a valid 'Request for FEE-HELP Assistance' application form to the University by the end of Week 1 of the relevant teaching period. This form may also be submitted online, through the 'MyUC' web portal. Students must supply a valid Tax File Number (TFN).

Remission of FEE-HELP Loan

Students who withdraw from a course/unit(s) prior to the Census date for the relevant teaching period do not incur a FEE-HELP liability. Students who apply for a FEE-HELP loan and who withdraw from a course/unit(s) after the relevant teaching periods' Census date may apply for remission of their FEE-HELP loan through the University's Student and Academic Services Office. Further information on our refund policy and application forms are available on the Refunds webpage.

Applications will only be approved if exceptional circumstances can be proven to exist. Supporting documentation must be submitted with applications before they will be assessed.