Eligible domestic students now have access to deferred payment arrangements through the new Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP).

Flight Academy Australia, in conjunction with Queensland University, assists with two types of HELP loans available to students:

  • FEE-HELP Available to eligible fee-paying students to cover all or part of their tuition fees.
  • HECS-HELP Available to eligible Commonwealth supported students to cover all or part of their student contribution amount.

For further information, refer to the Federal Government’s Study Assist website.

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), Analysis and Planning Unit


What is HECS‑HELP?

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay their Tuition Fees. FEE-HELP can cover all or part of a student’s Tuition Fees, up to a lifetime limit of $100,879 (2017 maximum). The limit is indexed each year.

You may be entitled to FEE-HELP assistance if you:

  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements – see below; AND
  • have submitted, on or before the Census date, a valid Request for FEE-HELP assistance form for the unit of study* or the course of study of which the unit forms a part; AND
  • meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements; AND
  • have not exceeded your FEE-HELP limit.

*Students generally must submit a FEE-HELP form for a course, the only exceptions being cross-institutional students enrolling in one or more units but not a full course of study, and those students assessed as eligible to undertake bridging study for overseas trained professionals.

Citizenship and residency requirements:

You must be either

  • an Australian Citizen who will undertake in Australia at least one unit of study contributing to your course, OR
  • the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit, OR
  • the holder of a permanent visa undertaking bridging study for overseas-trained professionals who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit; OR
  • a New Zealand citizen who is not also a permanent resident of Australia and who is the holder of a Special Category Visa (SCV) AND meets other eligibility criteria, AND who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit.

Information for New Zealand citizens who hold a Special Category Visa (SCV) is available at Study Assist and on the New Zealand citizens – eligibility for HELP page.

Full details are available in the FEE-HELP information booklet – please be sure to read the booklet before completing a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form.

The Request for FEE-HELP assistance form is available online in MyCentre.  Alternatively, if you require a paper form, please contact us via our website, or telephone on +61 3 9379-9225. Forms must be submitted by the census date.

Failure to submit a valid Request for FEE-HELP assistance form by the census date of the term in which it is to take effect means that you are not eligible for FEE-HELP in that term and will owe the full Tuition Fee for your enrolment.


What is HECS‑HELP?

HECS‑HELP is a loan scheme for eligible students enrolled in Commonwealth supported places to pay their student contribution amounts. It cannot be used for additional study cost such as accommodation or text books.

To be eligible for HECS‑HELP, you must:

  • be studying in a Commonwealth supported place;
  • be an Australian citizen; or
  • be a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements; or
  • be a permanent humanitarian visa holder;
  • be enrolled in each unit at your university by the census date;
  • meet the relevant HECS-HELP residency requirements;
  • read the HECS‑HELP and Commonwealth supported places information booklet; and
  • submit a valid Request for Commonwealth support and HECS‑HELP form by the census date (or earlier administrative date) to your university.

What are the HECS-HELP residency requirements?

For Australian citizens

If you are an Australian citizen you will meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements if your university reasonably expects that you will undertake at least some of your course of study in Australia.

You will not meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements if your university reasonably expects that you will not undertake any of your course in Australia. For example, if you intend on studying overseas via distance education for your entire course, then you would not meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements.

You will need to confirm with your university as to what their expectations are in relation to the residency requirements. In addition to HECS-HELP residency requirements, universities often have their own specific requirements for distance education students – for example, it is not uncommon for universities to expect that their distance education students complete a portion of their studies on-campus in Australia, which could be one unit, or one semester etc.

For eligible New Zealand Special Category Visa holders

If you are a New Zealand Special Category Visa (NZ SCV) holder (who meets the specific NZ SCV residency requirements for HELP loans), you must be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s) to meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements. However, any period of residence outside Australia will be disregarded if:

  • it cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of the unit; or
  • it is required for the purpose of completing a requirement of that unit.

For permanent humanitarian visa holders

If you are a permanent humanitarian visa holder, you must be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s) to meet the HECS-HELP residency requirements. However, any period of residence outside Australia will be disregarded if:

  • it cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of the unit; or
  • it is required for the purpose of completing a requirement of that unit.