On this page:
2.1 - Requirements Pack
Higher education providers that are newly approved under HESA are sent a Requirements Pack, which contains important information regarding the administrative processes for implementation of the FEE-HELP loan scheme. This pack also contains a number of forms and templates that must be completed and returned to the department as soon as possible.
While higher education providers may have specific conditions imposed on them [HESA section 16-60], there are also standard conditions that all providers must comply with for the period of their approval. This includes, but is not limited to, submitting annual financial information to the department within six months of the end of their financial reporting period and notifying the department of any changes to directors, company structure and/or its constitution. Newly approved providers are notified of these standard conditions prior to approval.
As per section 37 of the HEP Guidelines, higher education providers must publish on their websites whether FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP assistance is available for a unit of study before the earliest day for enrolment in the unit of study and this must remain published at least until the end of the period in which the unit can be undertaken. The FEE-HELP publishing requirements must be met before enrolments open, if the higher education provider wishes to allow eligible students to access FEE-HELP for the relevant unit of study.
FEE-HELP must be made available to eligible students in all higher education courses that approved higher education providers deliver or intend to deliver unless availability has been specifically restricted under approval conditions. Newly approved providers are reminded that, post approval, they must give any students who meet the FEE‑HELP eligibility requirements the option to access a FEE-HELP loan to assist them to pay for all or part of their tuition fees for any eligible units of study. This also applies to existing students who may have commenced their course prior to approval as a FEE-HELP provider, for subsequent units contributing to their course.
Newly approved higher education providers are encouraged to contact FEE‑HELP@education.gov.au they have any questions about administering the FEE-HELP loan scheme.
2.2 - Transitioning continuing students to FEE-HELP
FEE-HELP must be made available to all continuing students who meet the eligibility requirements to access a FEE-HELP loan [part 31.4] for units they are yet to undertake, provided the provider is approved to deliver FEE‑HELP courses.
Access to a FEE‑HELP loan cannot be backdated for continuing students. Continuing students are not entitled to access a FEE-HELP loan for any units of study undertaken prior to the provider being approved. Students who commenced their course prior to the provider approval are only entitled to FEE‑HELP assistance for any units of study that have not yet been delivered by the provider. The start date of a unit of study for which a student is accessing a FEE-HELP loan cannot precede the date of the provider’s approval.
Any units of study already delivered prior to the provider’s approval cannot be deferred to a FEE‑HELP loan and students must pay their tuition fees upfront for these units.
In developing units of study for continuing students, providers should be mindful of any tuition fees already paid. Some continuing students may have paid tuition fees in full and in advance through deposits, or via periodic payment plans.
Where the continuing student previously made up-front payments for their units of study that:
- covered all of the tuition fees that were required prior to approval – no action is required by the provider
- did not fully cover all of the tuition fees that were required prior to approval – HESA does not provide for this fee to be recovered by the student. FEE-HELP approval cannot be backdated to allow students to defer the remaining tuition fee for those units of study with a start date before approval; and
- exceeded the tuition fees that were required prior to approval – the provider may either refund the student for any excess payments or may apply the excess payments to cover all or part of the remaining units of study. Providers must discuss this action with students and obtain their agreement before applying the excess payments in this way.
A student may defer the entire tuition fee for a unit of study to a FEE‑HELP loan if the start date of the unit of study is after the provider’s approval date, at which point, a provider should consider returning that upfront payment if requested by the student. This decision will be based on arrangements the provider has in place for refunding payments.
If a student withdraws from a unit of study on or before the census date and is therefore no longer enrolled in the unit of study at the end of the census date, the provider must repay to a person any payment of the student’s student contribution amount or tuition fee for a unit of study that the person made on or before the census date for the unit [HESA subsection 169-15(3)]. This would include any deposits or payments made by the continuing student that have been attributed to the unit of study. A provider’s business processes must support these requirements, and not present financial, administrative or other barriers to students wanting to withdraw from a unit of study or a course of study on or before the census date.
2.3 - Number of units comprising a course
There is no limit on the number of units of study a provider may determine as comprising a course of study, except that a course of study must be comprised of at least one unit of study.
2.4 - Contact for FEE-HELP assistance
Non-Table A or B providers should direct their FEE-HELP enquiries to FEE‑HELP@education.gov.au.
Table A and B providers should direct their FEE-HELP enquiries to HELP.Policy@education.gov.au.