VET Student Loans

A VET Student Loan is a loan from the Australian Government that helps eligible students pay their tuition fees. Your loan is repaid through the Australian tax system when you reach the minimum income threshold for repayment. The minimum income threshold for repayment is set by the Australian Government each year and is published on Study Assist. Repayments continue until you have repaid your entire debt.

It is important to note that your loan will remain a personal debt until it is repaid and it may reduce your take-home (after tax) wage and your borrowing capacity. There is no interest charged on a VET Student Loans debt, however it is subject to indexation. The ATO will apply indexation to any unpaid debt that is older than 11 months on 1 June each year. This means the amount you repay in total will be more than the original amount of the loan. You may wish to seek independent financial advice before applying.

The amount you can borrow for your tuition fees is determined by the Australian Government. There are four bands of VET Student Loan cap, and the TAFE Queensland course brochure will indicate which loan cap applies for the course.

A VET Student Loan is only for tuition fees and doesn't cover additional costs such as text books, materials, or accommodation.

The Australian Government has approved TAFE Queensland to deliver a number of courses eligible for a VET Student Loan. Search our website to find out if a VET Student Loan is available for your course at TAFE Queensland.

Courses that are approved for a VET Student Loan, and the cap on the loan amounts that students can borrow per course, are set by the Australian Government. A full list of approved courses is provided in the VET Student Loans (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination 2016.

In order to apply for a VET Student Loan you must provide current and updated evidence against each of the following criteria prior to enrolment. Otherwise, you will be liable to pay the full cost of your course. 

1. Citizenship:

Australian Citizen

• An Australian birth certificate with date prior to 20^th August 1986; or
• An Australian birth certificate that shows at least one parent as born in Australia; or
• A current Australian passport; or
• An Australian citizenship certificate.

Permanent Humanitarian Visa Holder

• A copy of the permanent humanitarian visa issued by the Department of Immigration; and
• A current VEVO print out showing the permanent humanitarian visa status.

New Zealand Citizen

• A current New Zealand passport; or
• VEVO printout; and
• International Movement Record (Form 1359) issued by Department of Immigration, showing that you are a Special Category Visa (TY444) holder, and that you first began living in Australia at least 10 years before applying for a VET Student Loan, and at that time, were a child under 18 years of age and did not have a spouse or de-facto partner, and that you have been in Australia for at least eight of the 10 years immediately prior to applying and at least 18 months of the last two years.

Pacific Engagement Visa holder

• A copy of the pacific engagement visa issued by the Department of Immigration; and
• A current VEVO print out showing the pacific engagement visa status.
   

2. Academic suitability:

• Australian Year 12 Certificate of Education; or
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) diploma; or
• successful completion of an Australian Qualifications Framework certificate IV or higher qualification (where the language of instruction is English), or at a level in a framework that preceded the AQF that is equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF or;
• Completion of the bksb English and Maths assessments, achieving an Exit Level 3 (working at level 4) or higher in the literacy and numeracy assessment. TAFE Queensland will assess your competence using the Australian Government approved assessment tool - Basic Key Skills Builder (bksb).

Please note: If you cannot provide a copy of your qualification certificate for an AQF level 4 or above qualification, we can accept a copy of your Authenticated Vocational Education and Training (VET) Transcript from the Unique Student Identifiers (USI) Register.  This is also known as a ‘USI transcript’, and has only been in place since 2015, so earlier qualifications will not be listed on the Register.

3. Tax File Number (TFN) requirements:

Students are required to verify their Tax File Number.  To meet this requirement you must:

• Provide evidence that the name, address and date of birth supplied at the time of enrolment match the details recorded with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). You can do this by supplying a screen shot of your personal details from the ATO section of your my.Gov account showing your name, address and date of birth.
• If you have applied for a Tax File Number at the time of enrolment, please supply a copy of your TFN application summary along with the payment receipt issued by the Australian Post at the time of application. It is important that the TFN application summary matches the barcode on the payment receipt. Once you receive a TFN, you must let TAFE Queensland know and update your eCAF with your TFN as soon as possible.

Please note: It is important to confirm that the personal information you have recorded with the ATO is current and matches the documentation you provide to us at the time of enrolment. If the details provided do not match, you will not be eligible for a VET Student Loan.

4. Unique Student Identifier (USI):

A USI must be provided prior to enrolment and the First Name, Last Name and Date of Birth must match your current legal details.

If you don’t already have a USI or need to update your details go to the USI website.

Please note: If your USI details do not match the details recorded with TAFE Queensland, we will be unable to enrol you.

5. Parental consent for under 18s:

If you are under the age of 18 and applying for a VET Student Loan, you must submit a VET Student Loans Parental Consent form completed and signed by your parent or guardian prior to enrolment, unless you can provide your Centrelink Income Statement confirming that you are receiving Youth Allowance on the basis of being independent.

Additional eligibility criteria

You must also meet each of the following criteria to be eligible for a VET Student Loan.

    1. You have sufficient available HELP balance:

• Your available HELP balance is your borrowing capacity for FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans (VSL/VETSL) and HECS-HELP. The combined HELP loan limit is the cap on what you can borrow from the Australian Government to cover the costs of your tuition fees across all FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans and HECS-HELP loans borrowed from 1 January 2020 onwards. The combined HELP loan limit excludes any loan fees.
• Taking out a loan will reduce your available HELP balance, and making repayments will increase your available HELP balance.
• For 2024, the HELP loan limit is $121,844 for most students.
• The limit for students studying medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses leading to initial registrations, or eligible aviation courses for 2024 is $174,998.
• There is a limit to how much you can borrow for each course using VSL (referred to as the loan cap). The loan cap is different for each course and is indicated on the corresponding TAFE Queensland course brochure

    2. You are studying the approved course primarily at a campus in Australia.

    3. You have read the VET Student Loans Information Booklet.

    4. You have submitted the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) on or before the census day for the first unit of the course and no less than 2 business days after enrolling.

Please note: If you intend to study more than one course, you will need to complete one eCAF for each course you wish to access a loan for.  If you do not complete and submit your eCAF by the deadline, you may need to make an alternative payment arrangement for your tuition fees.

    5. You have submitted the VET Student Loans engagement and progression form.

As part of VET Student Loan program mandatory requirements, Progression Forms are sent by TAFE Queensland to VET Student Loan students every 4 months. 

The Progression Form provides you with the opportunity to inform the Australian Government of your current study status.  The Australian Government uses this information to determine whether a student is an active participant in training and still requires access to their student loan.

You are sent an email by the Australian Government with a link to the eCAF database, where the Progression Form is completed as an online form.  You have 14 days to complete the form before it expires.

Please note: Your Progression Form response has a direct impact on your continued access to a VET Student Loan.

For more information download the VET Student Loans - Student engagement and progression FAQs.

Tuition fees are charged by unit of study and your course will have a least three fee periods with payments spread proportionately across the duration of your course. Refer to the VET Student Loan fee schedule.

Your tuition fees may be more than the VSL loan cap. If so, you will need to arrange to pay the difference between the course fees and the loan cap (referred to as the gap) prior to your first census day. You may be able to access a payment plan through TAFE Queensland to help you pay the gap amount in instalments.

Once admitted, but prior to the first census day for your course, TAFE Queensland will provide you with a Statement of Covered Fees confirming that your application has been accepted and displaying the course tuition fees that will, and will not, be covered under the VET Student Loan.

In addition to the Statement of Covered Fees, you will receive a VET Student Loan Fee Notice at least 14 days before each census day that will show you the tuition fees that will, and will not, be covered under the VET Student Loan for that fee period.

If you withdraw your enrolment on or before the census day, you will not incur the tuition fees for that fee period. This applies to fees covered by the VET Student Loan and any gap or upfront fees paid for that fee period. No administration fee applies. 

After each census day has passed, TAFE Queensland will send you a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) that provides you with further information about your debt. If you believe your CAN is incorrect, you should contact TAFE Queensland immediately.

Double and triple awards

If you intend to study more than one course, you will need to apply for a VET Student Loan for each course you wish to access a loan for. The amount you can borrow for your tuition fees will be determined by the cost of each unit required to be eligible for an award under each course. This means, the tuition fees may not reach the full VET Student Loan cap amount for some courses in a dual or triple award. The balance of a loan cap amount in one course cannot be used to cover the gap fees in another course.

Additional fees and charges

A VET Student Loan is only for tuition fees and doesn't cover additional costs such as text books, materials, or accommodation. Details of any additional costs for your course are detailed on the relevant course information page. 

In addition, a 20 percent loan fee applies to VET Student Loans for full fee paying or fee for service students. The good news is you don’t have to pay the loan fee upfront, it will be added to your VET Student Loan. The ATO will also apply indexation to any unpaid debt that is older than 11 months on 1 June each year. This means the amount you repay in total will be more than the original amount of the loan.

Please note: Students eligible for a state-based subsidy will not need to pay the loan fee.

Special loan fee exemption for pandemic relief

On 12 April 2020 the Australian Government announced a six-month exemption of the 20 per cent loan fee for full fee paying VET Student Loan students. This exemption applied to VET Student Loan amounts incurred on census days between 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2020. This exemption has now been extended to include VET Student Loan amounts incurred on census days between 1 October 2020 to 30 June 2021.

All VET Student Loan amounts incurred on census days between 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021 will not incur the usual 20 per cent loan fee. Students will not need to do anything for the exemption to be applied. Student VET Student Loan debt

Terms and conditions

Applying for a course does not guarantee you a place in that course. Your place is only guaranteed once you have met all eligibility requirements and you have enrolled into units. Enrolling means that you are committing yourself to study, and to paying the associated fees. 

The tuition fees and applicable charges are required to be paid at enrolment or by scheduled instalment dates either by yourself, a nominated third party (e.g. your employer), or as identified within a contract for delivery of TAFE Queensland training. 

Enrolment and payment

Once your eligibility has been confirmed, TAFE Queensland will assist you to enrol into your course.

Please note: if you enrol less than 14 days before the census day for the relevant units you will not be eligible for a VET Student Loan for those unit(s).

Your course may cost more than the VET Student Loan cap. If so, you will need to pay the difference (referred to as a gap) between the course fees and the VET Student Loan cap prior to your first census day. You may be able to access a payment plan through TAFE Queensland to help you pay the gap amount in instalments.

Your VET Student Loan is repaid through the Australian tax system when you reach the minimum income threshold for repayment. The minimum income threshold for repayment is set by the Australian Government each year and is published on Study Assist. Repayments continue until you have repaid your entire debt.

It is important to note that your loan will remain a personal debt until it is repaid and it may reduce your take-home (after tax) wage and your borrowing capacity. You may therefore wish to seek independent financial advice before applying for a VET Student Loan.

You have until the census day to apply for a VET Student Loan. If you do not submit your eCAF by the census day, or formally withdraw, you will be liable for the tuition fees payable for that fee period.

You cannot apply for a VET Student Loan until 2 business days after you enrol but you must submit your application on or before the first census day for your course.

TAFE Queensland will advise the Australian Government that you wish to apply for a VET Student Loan. An email containing a link to the eCAF database and a passkey to access your eCAF will be sent to your nominated email address.

Please note: You must complete and submit your eCAF to the Commonwealth before your first census day. If you do not submit your eCAF by the census day, you will be liable for the tuition fees payable for that fee period.

If you are considering applying for a VET Student Loan you should familiarise yourself with your rights and responsibilities. For further information please see:

• VET Student Loan Information Booklet
• VSL Student Obligations Fact Sheet
• Australian Government’s Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website
• Study Assist website

TAFE Queensland Student Rules

To ensure fair treatment for students, TAFE Queensland has policies and procedures on privacy, equity and diversity, admissions and enrolment, student fees, withdrawals and refunds, academic progression, student misconduct and complaints and feedback.

You are entitled to raise concerns about your academic results or appeal a result. You may also raise a concern or grievance for a range of non-academic matters, including harassment, vilification, and discrimination, misuse of personal information, financial matters and course applications. For more information, please see refer to TAFE Queensland’s Student Rules and Policies on our website.

If you wish to withdraw from a unit or course, or make any changes to your enrolment, you must apply to withdraw via the TAFE Queensland Student Portal.

Please note: parent/guardian authorisation is required for students requesting to withdraw who are under the age of 18 years.

If you withdraw your enrolment on or before the census day, you will not incur the tuition fees for that fee period. This applies to fees covered by the VET Student Loan and any gap or upfront fees paid for that fee period. For more information on refunds refer to the Domestic Student Refund Policy.

However, if you withdraw from your course after the census day, you will incur a VET Student Loan debt and will be liable for any gap payments applicable to those unit(s).

What if I have special circumstances?

If you withdraw after the census day or are unable to successfully complete a unit, and believe this was due to special circumstances, you may apply to have your VET Student Loan balance re-credited for the unit of study.

To apply for a re-credit, you need to submit a Re-Credit Application Form to your TAFE Queensland campus via post, email or in person.

If you feel that TAFE Queensland's decision about your re-credit request is unfair, you also have a right to ask for an internal appeal of the decision. For more information on re-credits please see the Re-Credit Procedure on our website.

It is important to keep your personal details up to date with TAFE Queensland so you don't miss any important communications regarding your course and VET Student Loan. You can update your details via the TAFE Queensland Student Portal.

Please note: If you change your personal details with TAFE Queensland, please ensure you have also updated your details with the USI Registry and Australian Tax Office (ATO).

When you enrol at TAFE Queensland the collection, storage, use and disclosure of any personal information you provide are protected by legislation. See our Privacy Policy for more information.