What is FEE-HELP?
A. FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay their unit fees. FEE-HELP can cover all or part of a student’s unit fees. The FEE-HELP limit is indexed each year. If you are eligible to use FEE-HELP, the Government will pay the amount of your loan directly to Open Universities Australia. You then repay your loan through the tax system once your income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment. Read our FEE-HELP page for more information.
FEE-HELP is a loan scheme to assist eligible full fee paying students to pay their tuition fees in both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. A loan fee of 20% is applied by the Commonwealth to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study. There is no loan fee for FEE-HELP loans for postgraduate courses. Students can choose to apply for a loan for all or part of the cost of the fee-paying course. Students who are eligible for FEE-HELP will have three options for payment: • Pay the full tuition fee up-front • Pay part of the tuition fee up-front and request a FEE-HELP loan for the remainder of the tuition fee • Request a FEE-HELP loan for the full tuition fee However, there is a maximum amount (the FEE HELP limit) that students may borrow over their lifetime through the FEE-HELP scheme. See How much can I borrow below. Loans through the FEE-HELP scheme can only be used for tuition fees. FEE-HELP does not cover any administrative fees, accommodation or living expenses.
On 9 March 2005 MIBT was granted the status as a recognised Higher Education Provider (HEP), allowing eligible students the opportunity to access the FEE-HELP loan scheme. FEE-HELP can cover all or part of a student’s tuition fees, up to a lifetime limit of $83,313 (as at 1 January 2009). (A student can elect to pay a portion of fees directly to MIBT, and the remaining debt will be registered as a loan through the Australian Taxation Office). The $83,313 FEE-HELP limit is indexed annually (as measured by the CPI index). A loan fee of 20% applies to FEE-HELP loans. Indexation and the loan fee do not count towards your FEE-HELP limit. The Government pays the amount of the loan directly to the student’s higher education provider.
FEE-HELP is a loan that helps eligible fee paying students pay their tuition fees at eligible public and private higher education providers. Tuition fees for fee paying students will vary according to the course. Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa may request a FEE-HELP loan to cover some or all of their tuition fees. Further information can be found at http://www.uow.edu.au/student/centre/reforms/help.
