VET Student Loans
Student loans give you the choice of studying at Salford College now and paying some of your tuition fees later.
Under a VET Student Loan (VSL), the Australian Government pays your tuition fee (up to the loan limit) on your behalf directly to Salford College. You repay that loan through the tax system when your income exceeds a repayment threshold determined by the Australian Government.
The Australian Tax Office will calculate your compulsory payments each year and collect these payments until the whole debt has been repaid. Depending on your income, the VET Student Loan can result in a reduction of your take-home pay and borrowing capacity. Students should seek independent financial advice before committing to the VET Student Loan.
Information on this page is to be read in conjunction with the Australian Government’s VET Student Loans information booklet. Additional information is available on our Remission of Debt in special circumstances page
REMISSION OF DEBT IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Students who withdraw after the census date because they are unable to continue with their studies due to special circumstances can apply for remission of their VET Student Loan or FEE-HELP debt, or tuition fees paid up-front. A student cannot apply for a remission if the subject has been successfully completed.
An application is considered by the Compliance Manager or a nominated officer on the basis of special circumstances that apply to the student that:
- was beyond the student’s control;
- did not make their full impact on the student until on, or after, the census date; and
- made it impractical for the student to complete the requirements for the unit in the period during which the student undertook, or was to undertake, the unit.
Special circumstances do not include, for example:
- lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements under the schemes; or
- an applicant’s incapacity to repay a HELP debt, as repayments are income-contingent and the applicant can apply for a deferral of a compulsory repayment in certain circumstances
The student’s statement of the special circumstances must include supporting documentation from an independent source or authority.
WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION?
The documentation you provide in support of proving that special circumstances affected your study must come from at least one independent source or authority, dated and signed, that clearly:
- identifies the special circumstances;
- dates the occurrence of the special circumstances;
- states the duration of the special circumstances; and
- describes the level of impact of the special circumstances.
For example, supporting documentation may include detailed:
- medical statement from a medical professional (a medical certificate is not sufficient)
- statement from a minister of religion
- statement from a counsellor
- statement from a police officer
- statement from an employer regarding significant changes in employment circumstances
- copy of death certificate or death notice in the case of a close family member and proof of relationship to the deceased
- letter from a lecturer, head of department or relevant institute staff familiar with the applicant’s circumstances
WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME FOR AN APPLICATION?
An application for a remission or a re-credit must be made, in writing:
- within 12 months of the withdrawal date of the unit, or,
- if the person has not withdrawn, within 12 months of the end of the period of study in which the unit was, or was to be, undertaken.
- where a student has deferred, the 12 month period applies from the end of the period of deferment.
Salford College has the discretion to waive this requirement if it is satisfied that the application could not be made within the time limits.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN LODGED?
The Compliance Manager or a nominated officer considers an application within 14 working days of receipt. Salford College will notify you of its decision and the reasons for making the decision within 28 days of receipt.
Salford College will also advise you of your right for a review of the decision if you are dissatisfied with the outcome. The time limit for applying for a review of a decision is 28 days from the day you first received notice of the decision. You are taken to have received notice of the decision one day after the date on the notice of decision and the 28 days timeframe begins on this day.
An appeal/review is lodged by completing a Complaints and Appeals Form and will follow Salford College https://salfordcollege.edu.au/_documents/Complaints-and-Appeals-Policy procedure.
Re-credit of a Student’s VET FEE-HELP balance by the Secretary – The process
A student may apply in writing to the Secretary for the student’s VET FEE-HELP balance to be re-credited under section 71 of the VET Student Loans Act 2016. Applications must be made within 5 years after the census day for the course or unit of study concerned or within that period as extended by the Secretary.
Before re-crediting a student’s VET FEE-HELP balance the Secretary must give the course provider concerned notice in writing:
- stating that the Secretary is considering the re-credit; and
- stating the reasons why the Secretary is considering the re-credit; and
- inviting the provider to make written submissions to the Secretary about the re-credit within 28 days.
In deciding whether to re-credit the VET FEE-HELP balance, the Secretary must take into account any submissions received within the 28 day period.
The Secretary must give the student and the provider written notice of the Secretary’s decision and the reasons for the decision. The notice must be given as soon as practicable after the decision is made.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a VET Student Loan you must:
- Be enrolled in an eligible Diploma or Advanced Diploma course
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder who is usually a resident in Australia, or a New Zealand Special Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements
- Have a HELP balance that is more than $0. Your HELP loan limit is the amount that you can borrow.
- Have a Tax File Number issued by the ATO by the unit of study census date
- Have a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI)
- Provide evidence of academic suitability
- Reside in Australia for the duration of your study.
You can check your eligibility for a VET Student Loan at https://www.myskills.gov.au/more/financial-assistance
HOW TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR THE VSL SCHEME?
- Your course must continue to remain on the approved list of VSL courses
- You must confirm your engagement and progression online when requested to by the government, otherwise, you may cease being eligible for a VSL.
If you do not meet the eligibility requirements you will not be able to access a VET Student Loan but you will still be able to study in your course if you meet the course entry requirements and pay your tuition and other applicable fees.
HOW MUCH CAN I BORROW?
For each VET Student Loan approved course, you can borrow up to the lesser of
- the Loan Cap the Department of Education and Training has set for that course, or
- the remaining unused balance under your HELP loan limit.
Your HELP loan limit is the maximum amount of VET Student Loans, VET FEE-HELP, FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP you can use to pay for your studies. The HELP loan limit is indexed annually on 1 January. For 2022, the HELP loan limit is $109,206 for most students. Visit https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans/combined-help-loan-limit for more information.
List of Salford College courses approved for VET Student Loans 2022
Course Code & Course Name Tuition Fee VSL Loan Cap Gap Fee BSB50120 Diploma of Business $11,217 $10,717 $500 SIT50416 Diploma of Hospitality Management $13617 $10717 $2900 BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management $11,217 $10,717 $500 BSB60120 Advanced Diploma of Business $8258 $5358 $2900 SIT60316 Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management $13617 $10717 $2900 BSB60420 Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management $11,217 $10,717 $500 BSB60720 Advanced Diploma of Program Management $8258 $5358 $2900 WHAT HAPPENS AFTER AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN LODGED?
The Compliance Manager or a nominated officer considers an application within 14 working days of receipt. Salford College will notify you of its decision and the reasons for making the decision within 28 days of receipt.
Salford College will also advise you of your right for a review of the decision if you are dissatisfied with the outcome. The time limit for applying for a review of a decision is 28 days from the day you first received notice of the decision. You are taken to have received notice of the decision one day after the date on the notice of decision and the 28 days timeframe begins on this day.
An appeal/review is lodged by completing a Complaints and Appeals Form and will follow Salford College https://salfordcollege.edu.au/_documents/Complaints-and-Appeals-Policy procedure.
WHAT IS COVERED BY VET STUDENT LOANS?
VET Student Loans (VSL) can be used to cover tuition fees only. Other fees, e.g., student services fees, material fees, tours or excursions, are not covered.
For some courses, the VSL cap may not fully cover the tuition fees for the entire course. You will be required to pay any tuition fee above the loan cap as it becomes due. You will also be required to pay any other non-tuition fees (excursions, uniforms, etc) before you can commence study.
LOAN CAP
Each approved course has a cap, which is the maximum amount of VET Student Loan available for that particular course. If the cost of your course exceeds the cap you will be required to pay the balance (gap fees), as per our billing period.
Students who are eligible for VSL are NOT eligible to apply for payment plans, except if they applied for the loan and there is a portion of the tuition that exceeds the cap amount of the loan, which is to be paid upfront.
There is a $100 Payment Plan set-up fee which is payable upfront together with the first instalment of the payment plan.
VET CENSUS DATES & PAYMENT DEADLINES
CENSUS DATE
The census day for a course, or a part of a course (e.g. unit), is predetermined and is the last day you can:
- Complete the eCAF to apply for a VET Student Loan (VSL) (for eligible students in Diploma and above courses).
- Withdraw your enrolment without incurring a debt for the course or part of the course
If you have not submitted a completed Request for a VET Student Loan on or before the census date, you WILL NOT be entitled to the loan for that unit and will therefore be required to pay the fee in full by this date.
CENSUS & PAYMENT DEADLINES FOR VET STUDENTS
Each teaching period has a payment due date and a census date.
The census date is the most important date for you to know about the terms of your loan.
The census date is the last day you can withdraw from a course without financial penalty. If you don’t withdraw before midnight on the census date, you are liable to pay the course fee.
Your fees are due at the end of the first week of unit of study, unless otherwise stated on your fee statement.
Census date deadlines cannot be extended for any unit of study.
The census date is also the last day you can apply for Commonwealth Assistance.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A VET STUDENT LOAN
- Read the VET Student Loan Information booklet.
- Apply for a Tax File Number from the ATO if you don’t already have one.
- Gather evidence of your citizenship status and academic suitability to support your loan application if we don’t already have the required documents (see below for required evidence).
- If you are under 18, have your parent or guardian complete a VET Student Loans Parental Consent Form. This is not necessary if you have been assessed by Centrelink for the independent rate of Youth Allowance but you will need to provide a Centrelink Income Statement as evidence of this.
- Submit your required evidence documents through our website or email admissions@salfordcollege.edu.au
- Salford College will verify your eligibility and register your student details in the Government eCAF system.
- You will receive an email from the Government eCAF system and, using details in that email, you are required to login to eCAF to enter your Tax File Number and confirm your loan. You will need to provide one of the following:
- An Australian Passport
- An Australian Citizenship Certificate
- A Citizenship by Descent extract
- If you were born in Australia before 20 August 1986, your full Australian birth certificate
- If you were born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 and one of your parents was an Australian Citizen at the time of your birth
- If your full Australian birth certificate shows that one of your parents was born in Australia before 20 August 1986, your full Australian birth certificate
- If your parent was not born in Australia before 20 August 1986:
- A) your full Australian birth certificate and your parent’s Australian citizenship certificate OR
- B) your full Australian birth certificate and your parent’s full Australian birth certificate.
- If you were born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 but neither of your parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth, your Australian citizenship certificate.
If you cannot provide any of the above you should apply for your own evidence of Australian citizenship through the Department of Home Affairs
- Permanent humanitarian visa VEVO
- New Zealand Special Category Visa plus evidence
- of usual residence in Australia for at least 10 years prior to the loan application
- you were a dependent child under 18 years of age when you were first usually resident in Australia
- you have been in Australia for a total of 8 out of the last 10 years and 18 months out of the last 2 years
To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, you must be assessed as being academically suitable to undertake your course. You can meet this requirement through one of the following ways:
- Provide a copy of your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12 certificate) as awarded by an Australian State or Territory OR
- Provide a copy of a Vocational Education Qualification certificate issued for completion of a Certificate IV qualification or higher and that was delivered in English OR
- Complete the Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment and attain an Australian Core Skills Framework Exit Level 3 result or higher for literacy and numeracy. Most students will have taken the LLN test as part of your interview. If you scored below exit level 3 and do not have either of the first two requirements, you will be invited to resit the LLN. Please check this document for further information – VSL Pre enrolment and employment policy
MANAGING YOUR LOAN
VET Student Loans fee notice/ VET Student Loans Statement of Covered Fees
The census day for a course, or a part of a course (e.g. unit), is the last day you can:
- Complete the eCAF to apply for a VET Student Loan for your course
- Withdraw your enrolment without incurring a debt for the course or part of the course
Before your first census date, you will receive a VET Student Loans Statement of Covered Fees showing your contact details, student identification number, CHESSN, the tuition fees for your current enrolment, the amount that will be covered by the loan and the amount you will need to pay. You can see which units will be deferred and which are to be paid by you with due dates by logging in to eStudent and selecting the “My Finances” tab across the top of the screen.
You must check each detail on the notice carefully and advise the Information Centre if there are any errors before the census date.
Commonwealth Assistance Notice
Students who access VET Student Loans (VSL) will be issued a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). Your CAN is issued electronically and emailed to your e-mail address within 28 days after each Census Date.
Your CAN is an official notification of your enrolment, and contains information that is reported to the Government and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The CAN provides information including the units enrolled, fees, upfront payments, and the debt incurred for the period.
You need to keep a copy of your CAN for each study period in your records and verify that all the information is correct. If you believe there is an error on your CAN, you must notify us in writing within 14 days of the date of issue of the CAN.
Withdrawing from your course or units of study
If you wish to change or withdraw from your course, or if you wish to withdraw from some units, you need to contact your student support team at student.support@salfordcollege.edu.au to complete the relevant forms.
Students contemplating a Course Withdrawal are encouraged to discuss this with a Student Support Officer or compliance that may be able to advise on other course options.
Withdrawal from a unit or course requires completion and submission of the withdrawal form(s).
The student should keep a copy of any withdrawal form that has been approved by Salford College.
If you make these changes before the relevant census date of your units of study, the tuition fees will be cancelled and any relevant tuition fee amounts you have paid will be refunded.
If you make these changes after the census date, the tuition fees that have been added to your HELP debt under VET Student Loans cannot be cancelled and have to be repaid as normal. If there were special circumstances preventing you from acting before the census date, please read the relevant section on Special Circumstances in the VET Student Loans information booklet.
If you have withdrawn from your course, please ensure you follow Salford College’s formal withdrawal procedure to cancel your enrolment or you may incur a debt. You should also submit a Progression Form, advising the date of withdrawal, so that access to your loan is stopped. Salford College will treat this advice as ending your request for a VET Student Loan effective from the date you have indicated. Any students who do not officially withdraw from their enrolment in writing, and have fees outstanding after the withdrawal date will still be liable for their enrolment fees.
You can check your debt liability by logging in to your MyGov account if it is linked to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Please refer to the VET Student Loans information booklet. for information on how to manage your debt.
Checking your HELP records and balance
You can view your HELP debt records and balances online by one of the following methods as outlined by the Australian Government.
- Log in to myHELPbalance. You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in. Your CHESSN is shown on your Commonwealth Assistance Notice.
- Log in to the myGov website. To access this online service, please refer to the instructions on the ATO website.
- Call the ATO on 13 28 61. You will have to advise the ATO of your tax file number (TFN) before they will disclose any personal information to you.
CENSUS Intake Dates
Please click here to find the Census Intake Dates
Pre-enrolment and Enrolment Policy For Vet Student Loans
Please click here to read about pre-enrolment and enrolment-policy for Vet Student Loans
Statement of Tuition Assurance
Please click here to read statement of tuition assurance
VET Student Loan Tuition Assurance
Please click here to read the VET Student Loan (VSL) Tuition Assurance
VSL FEE refund and re-credits and Approved Courses
Please click here to read the VSL Fee refund and re-credits and approved courses
CONTACT US
If you require further information or assistance with accessing a VET Student Loan, please contact us on 08-82326190 or email us at info@salfordcollege.edu.au
