The Australian Government has announced it will:
Waive the Tuition Protection Levy for the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) and VET Student Loans (VSL) program at a cost to Government of $6.3 million.
Invest $6.3 million in funding to the Tuition Protection Service to ensure student protections are maintained.
Extend the FEE-HELP loan fee reprieve for private higher education students to 30 June 2021.
Extend the VSL fee reprieve for students at VSL approved institutions until 30 June 2021.
How will this impact you?
All Private Education Provider students (Eg. Alphcrucis Students) are charged the 25% loan fee when accessing Commonwealth Assistance (i.e. FEE Help/VSL). This is a government initiative and regulated by them, Private Providers have no control over the application or exemption of the fee.
Due to COVID 19 the Government have provided a Loan fee exemption this has been extended 30 June 2021.
Please see the enclosed information regarding the exemption, who is eligible and how it is applied: https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/higher-education/higher-education-faq
Do students need to apply for the exemption?
The loan fee exemption will be automatically applied when your loan is submitted by your provider to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
Who will this help?
The loan fee exemption will help undergraduate full fee‑paying students who are accessing FEE‑HELP at a non‑university higher education provider for units with census dates from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2021. It will also help vocational education and training students accessing a VET Student Loan.
Do providers need to apply for the exemption for their students?
Institutions do not need to apply for the loan fee exemption. It will be applied automatically when providers report their student loan data to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. https://www.dese.gov.au/contact-us
What is tuition protection?
‘Tuition protection’ refers to the protections and assistance available to support FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP students, in the event that their education provider defaults (ceases delivering their course or closes entirely).
The Australian Government’s Tuition Protection Service (TPS) provides tuition protection assistance for domestic students accessing a FEE‑HELP or HECS‑HELP loan or a VET Student Loan at a private education provider, and international students.