Frequently asked questions
- When will FEE-HELP be available?
- When will VET FEE-HELP be available?
- What courses are available through FEE-HELP?
- Do FEE-HELP loans attract interest?
- When do I need to submit a Request For FEE-HELP Assistance Form?
- How often do I need to submit a Request For FEE-HELP Assistance Form?
- Can I study Part-time and still access FEE-HELP?
- What does FEE-HELP cover?
- What is a Census Date?
- What is an Administration Date?
- What is a Withdrawal Date?
- Do I need to make any payments towards Tuition fees before Census Date?
- Can I make payments to reduce my Tuition Debt prior to Census Date?
- How do I make a payment towards Tuition Fees after Census Date?
- Can I withdraw from my unit/s?
- What happens if Southbank discontinues the program I am enrolled in?
- As an International student am I eligible for FEE-HELP?
- Do I need a Tax File Number TFN?
- What is a CHESSN?
- What is a CAN?
- What if your CAN is incorrect?
- What is EFTSL?
- Where can I get further information?
When will FEE-HELP be available?
FEE-HELP for Higher Education is available from SBIT now. Currently FEE-HELP is only available for one program, the Associate Degree of Civil Engineering.
When will VET FEE-HELP be available?
SBIT is not an approved VET FEE-HELP Provider; SBIT currently has submitted an application to DEEWR and is awaiting the outcome of that application.
What courses are available through FEE-HELP?
Associate Degree in Civil Engineering
Do FEE-HELP loans attract interest?
A FEE-HELP loan is indexed according to CPI (Consumer Price Index) but is otherwise interest-free. A loan fee of 20% will apply to all eligible VET and Higher Education courses of study. This fee is applied to the amount of FEE-HELP assistance a student receives; however it does not count towards their FEE-HELP limits. E.g. A loan of $1,000 will result in a student having to pay back $1,200.
When do I need to submit a Request For FEE-HELP Assistance Form?
A request for FEE-HELP Assistance form must be lodged before the Census date, however if the form is lodged after the Administration Date a fee will be charged.
How often do I need to submit a Request For FEE-HELP Assistance Form?
A request for FEE-HELP Assistance form only needs to be lodged once for each course of study (program). If you change your course of study a new Request for FEE-HELP form must be lodged with the Institute.
Can I study Part-time and still access FEE-HELP?
Yes
What does FEE-HELP cover?
FEE-HELP can cover all or part of your Tuition Fees, i.e. you can choose to apply it to all of your units of study, or alternatively just one/some or any part of them. FEE-HELP provides loans for Tuition Fees only, and does not cover text books, materials, equipment, travel, accommodation or general living expenses.
What is a Census Date?
The Census Date is the closing date on which you can apply for FEE-HELP assistance, and the last date that you can withdraw from a unit of study without incurring financial liability, and as such a debt to the Commonwealth Government.
What is an Administration Date?
The Administration date is set earlier than the Census Date by which time you are required to pay your Tuition Fees or lodge your Request for FEE-HELP Assistance, or be charged the Late Enrolment Fee.
What is a Withdrawal Date?
The Withdrawal date is after the Census Date, after which time if you withdraw from a unit of study you may receive a fail grade.
Do I need to make any payments towards Tuition fees before Census Date?
No, however all Incidental Fees must be paid on enrolment.
Can I make payments to reduce my Tuition Debt prior to Census Date?
Yes, you can make payments to the Institute at any time prior to the Census Date. This will reduce the overall balance that will be transferred to DEEWR and payable via the ATO. The balance remaining at Census Date also attracts the 20% DEEWR Loan Fee.
How do I make a payment towards Tuition Fees after Census Date?
Repaying your FEE-HELP loan occurs through the taxation system once your income reaches the minimum threshold for compulsory repayments. You can elect to make voluntary repayments of any amount at any time to the ATO.
Can I withdraw from my unit/s?
You may at any time during a semester, cancel enrolment for the semester or amend it by withdrawing from one or more units of study.
However, the cancellation of enrolment may be subject to academic penalty and/or financial penalty as follows:
- Withdrawal from unit/s of study or change of enrolment prior to the Administration Date:
- no academic penalty; and
- no financial penalty.
- Withdrawal from unit/s of study or change of enrolment after the Administration Date but before the Census Date:
- no academic penalty
- financial penalty/fine ($200 per instance of a change/withdrawal).
- Withdrawal from unit/s of study or change of enrolment after the Census Date but prior to the Withdrawal date:
- no academic penalty
- full financial liability to the Commonwealth Government.
- Withdrawal from unit/s of study or change of enrolment after the Census Date and after the Withdrawal date:
- academic penalty
- full financial liability to the Commonwealth Government.
For further information please view our FEE-HELP Tuition Fee Refund Policy
What happens if Southbank discontinues the course of study I am enrolled in?
Tuition Assurance is an arrangement between a FEE-HELP provider and an external party intended to protect you in the event that the provider ceases to provide a course of study in which you are enrolled.
Under this arrangement you are offered a choice of enrolling with another provider in a similar course or receiving a refund of upfront payments or re-credit of FEE-HELP balance.
SBIT is committed to protecting students through an arrangement for tuition assurance with TAFE Director’s Australia. For further information please access our tuition assurance statement.
As an International student am I eligible for FEE-HELP?
No, an applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be a resident in Australia for the duration of the unit of study.
Do I need a Tax File Number TFN?
You will need to meet certain tax file number (TFN) requirements in order to be eligible for FEE-HELP assistance. This includes the requirement to provide you TFN when completing and signing a Request for FEE-HELP Assistance form. If you choose not to provide your TFN, you will not be entitled to FEE-HELP.
If you do not have a TFN then you should obtain a Certificate of application for a TFN from the Australian Tax Office (ATO), and provide this to SBIT on or before the Census date. If you cannot quote your TFN or supply a Certificate of application for a TFN on or before the Census date, you will not be entitled to FEE-HELP.
SBIT uses students’ TFNs to provide advice to the ATO regarding the amount of each student’s loan.
What is a CHESSN?
The Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) is a unique identifier used by a higher education provider in communications with the Australian Government relating to a student’s FEE-HELP debt.
What is a CAN?
SBIT will issue each student requesting FEE-HELP assistance with a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). This will be issued regardless of whether a full up-front payment has been made for Tuition Fees and therefore has not incurred a FEE-HELP debt on that Census Date. A CAN must be supplied within twenty-eight days of the earliest Census Date indicated in the notice.
What if your CAN is incorrect?
If you have identified an error with your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) you will need to submit in writing for the notice to be corrected. This request must be given to an appropriate officer of SBIT, within fourteen days after the date of issuance of the original CAN. Once the institute is satisfied that the information in the notice is not, or has ceased to be, correct, SBIT will issue a further CAN to you setting out the correct information.
What is EFTSL?
Equivalent Full Time Study Load (EFTSL) value for a unit of study represents the study load for that unit. A study load for a unit of study is expressed as a proportion of the standard study load for one full time year of the course of study of which it forms a part. The value for units of study undertaken by a full time student doing a standard study load for one year normally adds up to 1.0. Students doing less or more would have an aggregate EFTSL value reflecting this. E.g. 0.5 or 1.2.
Where can I get further information?
For detailed information, including a ‘FEE-HELP Information booklet’, please refer to the following Australian Government website:
www.goingtouni.gov.au or contact us at Southbank Institute of Technology.
Last updated 16 November, 2009