What type of student am I?
What happened to HECS?
What happened to PELS?
What do I have to do?
What does the University of Tasmania have to do?
What is a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN)?
I think my CAN is incorrect. What do I do?
I began my course as a HECS student before 2005. How do the changes affect me?
What are the changes to the Student contribution amounts for pre-2005 students?
I am a pre-2005 student, am I eligible for HECS–HELP assistance?
I began my course as a PELS student before 2005. Am I a pre-2005 student?
I am a pre-2005 PELS student and I hold a permanent visa (other than permanent humanitarian visas), what happens to me?
I started a course before 1997 and was paying the flat rate of HECS. Will this still apply?
I have a HECS debt, what happens to that?
What is the bonus for voluntary repayments?
How will I track my Student Learning Entitlement and HELP loan?
How will I access 'Going To Uni'?
Where can I get more information on the changes to HECS and PELS?
Where can I get more information on HECS and HELP debt repayments?
I do not want to be Commonwealth supported for a unit of study, what do I need to do?
I am a pre-2005 New Zealand citizen or permanent visa holders (other than humanitarian visa holders), what am I eligible for?
When does a person become the holder of a permanent visa?
I am a New Zealand citizen and I hold a Special Category Visa (SCV).
I am a New Zealand citizen and I hold a Certificate of Status of New Zealand Citizens in Australia.
I did not pay my up-front Student Contribution Charges. What happens now?
My enrolment has been cancelled for non-payment of fees. What happens now?
I have chosen the up-front payment option. What can I do to avoid my enrolment being cancelled?
I withdrew after the census date. Can I get a refund?
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What type of student am I?
A domestic student is a student who is an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent visa. Providers may offer domestic students either a Commonwealth supported place or a fee-paying place.
An overseas student is any student who is not a domestic student. Such students must pay overseas student fees. The Commonwealth does not make a contribution to the cost of education for overseas students.
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What happened to HECS?
The deferred payment arrangements and discount for up–front payments are now called HECS–HELP assistance. Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa are eligible for HECS–HELP. The discount for full up–front payments or up–front payments of $500 or more has changed from 25% to 20%.
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What happened to PELS?
The deferred payment arrangements for postgraduate fee–paying students will now be known as FEE–HELP. FEE–HELP is a new loan programme that assists eligible fee–paying students to pay their tuition fees at eligible higher education providers. Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa are eligible for FEE–HELP assistance. It will also assist undergraduate fee–paying students. Under FEE–HELP, students can borrow up to a maximum of $50,000 (indexed each year) over their lifetime.
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What do I have to do?
- if you were born overseas you must supply certified copies of your citizenship documents to confirm your citizenship status for enrolment purposes;
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enrol in all required units prior to the census date;
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check and finalise your enrolment details prior to census date;
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pay your fees by the due date to avoid cancellation;
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notify the University of any change of mailing address;
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contact the University before the due date if you have not received an invoice;
- contact the University in writing within 14 days of the issue of a Commonwealth Assistance Notice if you believe it is incorrect.
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What does the University of Tasmania have to do?
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notify you of your fee liability;
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advise you of the date fees are due;
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send you a CAN within 28 days of the census date;
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provide you with a CHESSN on your CAN;
- cancel your enrolment if your tuition fees are not paid by the due date.
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What is a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN)?
A CAN contains information about a student’s enrolment in a Commonwealth Supported Place, the student contribution amounts, SLE usage and CSP units.
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I think my CAN is incorrect. What do I do?
Contact the University in writing within 14 days of the issue of a Commonwealth Assistance Notice if you believe it is incorrect.
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I began my course as a HECS student before 2005. How do the changes affect me?
Generally, you will be considered to be a pre–2005 HECS student if you:
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What are the changes to the Student contribution amounts for pre-2005 students?
As a pre–2005 HECS student your student contribution amount cannot exceed what the HECS rates would have been for you in that year had there been no changes to HECS. Your contribution will not be more than what you would have contributed under HECS until the end of 2008.
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I am a pre-2005 student, am I eligible for HECS–HELP assistance?
If you are a pre–2005 HECS student and you are a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent visa (other than a permanent humanitarian visa), your eligibility for HECS–HELP assistance will be determined under the old HECS rules until the end of 2008. This means, if you were eligible under HECS to defer your contribution, you will be eligible for HECS–HELP assistance.
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I began my course as a PELS student before 2005. Am I a pre-2005 student?
Generally, you will be considered to be a pre–2005 PELS student if you:
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commenced your postgraduate course of study before 1 January 2005;
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incurred a PELS debt before 1 January 2005;
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have not discontinued your enrolment without formal approval from your higher education provider; and
- have not completed the requirements of your course or the requirements of another course at the same level.
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I am a pre-2005 PELS student and I hold a permanent visa (other than permanent humanitarian visas), what happens to me?
If you are a pre–2005 PELS student who holds a permanent visa (other than a permanent humanitarian visa), your eligibility for FEE–HELP assistance will be determined under the old PELS rules until the end of 2008. This means if you were eligible for a PELS loan, you will be eligible for FEE–HELP assistance.
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I started a course before 1997 and was paying the flat rate of HECS. Will this still apply?
If you commenced or deferred, but did not complete, your course before 1997, you may be eligible to pay a flat (non-differential) rate of student contribution. If you believe that you may be entitled to the pre-1997 rate, you should complete the Application for Assessment of Non-Differential (Pre-1997) Status after reading the Guidelines.
If you believe that you are eligible for the non-differential student contribution and your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) does not reflect this, you will have 14 days from the date of the notice to request that a correction be made. Requests for a correction must be in writing and addressed to the Student Centre. Requests for a correction received more than 14 days from the date of the CAN will not be considered. If you are eligible for the flat rate of student contribution but you have not complied with this time limit regarding requests for corrections to liability notices set by Section 169 of the Higher Education Support Act 2003, you will be liable for the differential rate for your course.
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I have a HECS debt, what happens to that?
From 1 June 2006, if you have an accumulated HECS debt, it will become known as an accumulated HELP debt. Any HECS–HELP or FEE–HELP debts you incur from 1 January 2005 will be added together with your HECS debt to become one accumulated HELP debt on 1 June 2006.
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What is the bonus for voluntary repayments?
The bonus for eligible voluntary repayments paid to the Australian Tax Office, of a HECS or HELP debt changed from 15% to 10% from 1 January 2005.
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How will I track my Student Learning Entitlement and HELP loan?
The Commonwealth Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) is introducing a website which will enable students to monitor their own Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) balance and their HELP loan balances.
http://www.goingtouni.gov.au
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How will I access 'Going To Uni'?
All students studying in a Commonwealth supported place will be sent a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) after the census date. You use the CHESSN to access Going to Uni.
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Where can I get more information on the changes to HECS and PELS?
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Where can I get more information on HECS and HELP debt repayments?
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I do not want to be Commonwealth supported for a unit of study, what do I need to do?
Students may choose not to be Commonwealth supported for a unit of study. To do this, they must notify UTas in writing on or before the census date for that unit of study. However, you need to be aware that, subject to fairness requirements under HESA, your provider is under no obligation to offer you a fee-paying place for the unit. You also need to keep in mind the benefits associated with being Commonwealth supported.
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I am a pre-2005 New Zealand citizen or permanent visa holders (other than humanitarian visa holders), what am I eligible for?
Current students may be able to access HELP under the transitional arrangements. The transitional arrangements apply only to units of study that end on or before 31 December 2008. You will no longer be eligible for HECS-HELP from this date unless you become an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa and meet the other requirements for assistance.
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When does a person become the holder of a permanent visa?
Non-citizens applying for a permanent visa within Australia become the holder of a permanent visa on the date on which they are granted that visa for the first time or at a date or event specified in the visa.
Non citizens applying for a permanent visa outside Australia become the holder of a permanent visa on the date on which they enter Australia for the first time after the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) has approved their visa.
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I am a New Zealand citizen and I hold a Special Category Visa (SCV).
The Special Category Visa (SCV) is a temporary visa not a permanent visa. Although a SCV allows its holder to visit, live and work in Australia indefinitely, it does not give them access to loans under the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP).
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I am a New Zealand citizen and I hold a Certificate of Status of New Zealand Citizens in Australia.
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs may issue a Certificate of Status of New Zealand Citizens in Australia to New Zealand citizens who were:
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in Australia on 26 February 2001 as SCV holders; or
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outside Australia on 26 February 2001, but were in Australia as an SCV holder for at least one year in the two years prior to that date, and subsequently returned; or
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who have a certificate, issued under the Social Security Act 1991, stating that they are residing in Australia on a particular date.
This certificate certifies the status of its holder as a permanent resident in Australia for the purposes of applying for a grant of Australian citizenship and accessing certain social security payments, but does not give the holder access to loans under HELP.
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I did not pay my up-front Student Contribution Charges. What happens now?
If you have not provided the University with your tax file number your enrolment will be cancelled. If you have provided your tax file number your Student Contribution Charges will be deferred. By law, the University is not permitted to accept up-front student contribution amounts after the census date.
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My enrolment has been cancelled for non-payment of fees. What happens now?
If your enrolment is cancelled reinstatement is not possible as Federal Government regulations prohibit the payment of up-front student contribution amounts after the census date for the unit.
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I have chosen the up-front payment option. What can I do to avoid my enrolment being cancelled?
- Students in Commonwealth supported places should ensure they have completed and submitted the compulsory Request for Commonwealth Assistance and HECS-HELP form by the requested deadline
- Make your full up-front Student Contribution payment by the Due Date on your invoice, OR
- Provide your tax file number so that if you do not pay your student contribution up-front the amount can be deferred rather than your enrolment being cancelled.
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I withdrew after the census date. Can I get a refund?
You still consume SLE and are liable to pay fees and charges for the unit. If you requested a HELP loan, you will incur a HELP debt for the unit. You may apply for re-credit of your SLE and remission of your HELP debt if there are special circumstances surrounding your withdrawal. You will need to complete a Domestic Remission application form.
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