General information
As of 29 June 2009, South West TAFE is an approved VET FEE-HELP provider.
It is important to note that although approved, the Institute is still within its disallowance period. However due to legislative amendment, students are able to access VET FEE-HELP through us.
If our VET FEE-HELP Provider status becomes subject to disallowance by Parliament, students will be unable to access VET FEE-HELP for the remainder of the course in which they are enrolled. They will only incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for units with a census date prior to any disallowance motions being passed.
If our VET FEE HELP Provider status becomes subject to disallowance by Parliament, students will be unable to access VET FEE-HELP for the remainder of the course in which they are enrolled. They will only incur a VET FEE-HELP debt for units with a census date prior to any disallowance motions being passed.
What is VET FEE-HELP?
VET FEE-HELP is an Australian government initiative helping eligible students gain access to income contingent loans to assist them in paying their tuition fees. It is a derivative of the Higher Education system’s FEE-HELP program that has been assisting university students for years, the new VET FEE-HELP scheme is now available to assist students studying certain nationally recognised and accredited courses under levels:- diploma
- advanced diploma
- graduate certificate and/or
- graduate diploma
Are there any costs or charges in VET FEE-HELP?
There is no application fee for requesting VET FEE-HELP assistance.
A loan fee of 20% applies to all VET FEE-HELP loans.
The loan fee does not count towards your FEE-HELP balance.
There is no interest charged on your VET FEE-HELP debt. However, your debt is indexed annually by the Tax Office to maintain its real value.
An indexation amount does not increase your FEE-HELP balance.
How do I know if I am an eligible student?
A student is eligible for VET FEE-HELP if he/she:- is an Australian citizen or permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit of study in which they are seeking VET FEE-HELP assistance;
- is a student enrolled on or before the census date in an eligible unit of study through an approved VET provider and remains enrolled in the unit at the end of the census date;
- is enrolling in a course at Diploma or above qualification level
- meets the tax file number requirements;
- has completed, signed and submitted a valid request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form for the unit or the course of which the unit forms a part, on or before the census date; and
- has not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.
For more detailed information on VET FEE-HELP assistance visit www.deewr.gov.au/VETFEEHELP, call 13 38 78 or contact our Customer Service Centre on (03) 5564 8911.
How does VET FEE-HELP work?
The cost of tuition fees are paid upfront to South West TAFE through the Australian Government. You repay the fee assistance through the Australian Taxation Office via contributions (either voluntary or involuntary) made when you lodge your tax return. You are only required to start paying back the fee assistance once your income becomes greater than the minimum threshold ($41,594 in 2008-09). How do I apply?
What is the maximum amount of fee assistance I can access?
There is a lifetime limit of over which is currently $81,600 (indexed annually against CPI). This includes any amount that may be accumulated from a university FEE-HELP scheme, as VET FEE-HELP is an extension of this scheme and is viewed as a combined allocation by the Australian Tax Office.
How do I make repayments?
Repayments begin when you lodge your tax return with the Australian Taxation Office and your income is over the minimum threshold ($41,594 in 2008-09).If you do not earn the minimum threshold, there is no obligation to pay back the debt. You can however, make voluntary contributions.
Contact:
Telephone: (03) 5564 8911
Email: info@swtafe.vic.edu.au
