There are a number of loans available from the Australian Government to help eligible people to complete further training and study. You can get some general information from here.
HELP
The Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) assists eligible students with their student contribution or tuition fees from:
- university and other higher education providers
- approved vocational education and training (VET) providers.
There are different types of HELP loans available such as HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP and SA-HELP etc, depending on the student’s circumstances.
SSL and ABSTUDY SSL
This is a voluntary loan available to eligible students in higher education who receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance. The Department of Human Services administers the payments.
TSL
Under the Trade Support Loans (TSL) program, eligible Australian apprentices are offered loans of up to $20,420 over four years. TSL payments are administered by the Australian Apprenticeships Centres and the Department of Education and Training.
SFSS
This scheme closed on 31 December 2003. However, all existing SFSS debts continue to be collected through the tax system.
When you must repay your loan?
Once your income reaches a certain threshold, loan compulsory repayments are then made through your tax return. This is even if you are still studying or undertaking an apprenticeship.You can also make voluntary repayments at any time to reduce your loan balance, regardless of how much you earn.
Going overseas
From 1 January 2016, if you have moved overseas and have HELP or TSL debt, you can’t escape student debt. You will have the same repayment obligations as people who live in Australia. This applies if you already live or intend to move overseas for a total of more than six months in any 12 month period. You’re now required to file an overseas travel notification online via myGov ( Source: ATO ).
If you have any enquiry, please contact the Business Mantra experts and we are glad to assist you. You can call us on (08)9242 3555 or email us at info@businessmantra.com.au.