The following SAE Higher Education qualifications are eligible for full fee funding assistance under FEE-HELP:

• All Master course offerings.
• All Bachelor course offerings.
• All Associate Degree course offerings.
• These Diploma course offerings:
  • Diploma of Game Development
  • Diploma of 3D Animation
  • Diploma of Music Production
  • Diploma of Audio Production
  • Diploma of Graphic Design
  • Diploma of Film

FEE-HELP allows an eligible student to apply for an Australian Government loan and start making repayments (through tax) when they are earning more than $46,620 per year (as per the 2020/21 financial year). Approved students can begin study without having to pay up-front fees.

FEE-HELP is a personal debt obligation that can affect your credit rating and have wage and tax repayment implications.

Detailed information about accessing FEE-HELP is available at the Study Assist website.

You may be eligible for FEE-HELP if you:

• meet the citizenship and residency requirements
• are an Australian citizen who will undertake, in Australia, at least one unit of study contributing to your course; OR
• are a permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit; OR
• are a permanent visa holder who is undertaking bridging study for overseas-trained professionals, and will be resident in Australia for the duration of the study;
• are enrolled in an eligible unit of study by the census date for that unit, and have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.
• *Maintain a 50% Pass rate of their units

*For more information on pass rate requirements please refer to the FEE-HELP Information booklet for your current year of study.

To apply for a FEE-HELP loan, you will need to submit an eCAF (electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form) before the census date. Your eCAF invitation will be emailed to you prior to commencement. If you do not submit this form before the census date you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Note: you’ll have six weeks from the census date of a unit to correct any errors in your enrolment that would prevent you from being eligible for FEE-HELP. To complete your eCAF you will need:

• A tax file number (TFN). If you don’t have a TFN, you can submit a certificate of application for a TFN during the eCAF application process. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) after an application for a TFN has been received. Please be sure to follow all the steps when applying for a TFN, applying online is just the first step. Contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for TFN information.
• A USI – Unique Student Identifier is a reference number that creates an online record of your training and qualifications attained in Australia. To create a new USI or find your existing USI please visit the USI website. For important information on the census and administrative dates, as well as further information on deadlines and withdrawals.

Eligible students studying Higher Education Diplomas, Associate, Bachelor, and Postgraduate Degree courses can borrow up to the FEE-HELP limit to pay their tuition fees for courses.

The lifetime loan limit is the total amount you can incur in your lifetime under any Commonwealth student loan scheme – whether it is Higher Education FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans, or a VET Student Loan. It is indexed each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2021, the lifetime loan limit is $108,232 for most students. Students can view their loan obligations by logging into myUniAssist on the Study Assist website (opens a new window). You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in. If you get a FEE-HELP loan to pay for your undergraduate course, you will have to pay a 25% loan fee*

*The loan fee does not count towards your FEE-HELP limit. Click for more information on FEE-HELP.

The following SAE VET Diplomas are currently listed as approved and eligible for funding assistance under the new VET Student Loan (VSL) course with the loan funding capped at $10,342 per course.

• CUA50815 Diploma of Music Industry (Studio Production)
• CUA50815 Diploma of Music Industry (Electronic Music Production)
• CUA51015 Diploma of Screen & Media (Creative Industries)

VSL allows eligible students to apply for an Australian Government loan and start making repayments (through tax) when they are earning more than $46,620 per year (as per the 2020/21 financial year). VSL is a personal debt obligation that can affect your credit rating and have wage and tax repayment implications.

Detailed information about accessing VSL is available at the Department of Education and Training website or access the 2019 VET Student Loan Information Booklet provided by the Department.

You may be eligible for a VSL if you:

• meet citizenship/residency requirements;
• have a FEE-HELP balance of more than $0 (that is, have sufficient HELP balance remaining); and
• meet student entry requirements.

For more information on eligibility requirements, visit the Department of Education and Training website.

To apply for a VSL loan, you will need to submit an eCAF (electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form) before the census date. Your eCAF invitation will be emailed to you prior to commencement. If you do not submit this form before the census date you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Note: you’ll have six weeks from the census date of a unit to correct any errors in your enrolment that would prevent you from being eligible for FEE-HELP.

To complete your eCAF you will need:

• A tax file number (TFN). If you don’t have a TFN, you can submit a certificate of application for a TFN during the eCAF application process. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) after an application for a TFN has been received. Please be sure to follow all the steps when applying for a TFN, applying online is just the first step. Contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for TFN information.
• A USI – Unique Student Identifier is a reference number that creates an online record of your training and qualifications attained in Australia. To create a new USI or find your existing USI please visit the USI website.

Fees are charged by study periods. Your payments will be spread across the duration of your course. Each study period has a census day, set at no less than 20% into the study period. You will be sent an Invoice Notice 14 days before each census day, indicating your fees and census dates. Your debt is incurred on the day after the census day.

After a census day has passed, SAE will also send you a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that study period. The CAN will provide you with information about your debt, including the loan fee if applicable. If you believe your CAN is incorrect, you should contact your college immediately.

For a few courses, there may be a gap between the course fee and the loan cap that the Commonwealth will allow for your course. You will be advised of this when you enquire, and also about other payment options that may be available.

The lifetime loan limit is the total amount you can incur in your lifetime under any Commonwealth student loan scheme – whether it is Higher Education FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans or a VET Student Loan. It is indexed each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2021, the lifetime loan limit is $108,232 for most students. Students can view their loan obligations by logging into myUniAssist on the Study Assist website. You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in.