TAFE NSW higher education fees

FEE-HELP is available for all TAFE NSW's accredited higher education courses, except higher education microcredentials (courses for upskilling and reskilling in short timeframes). View the 2024 TAFE NSW Higher Education tuition fee schedule to see eligible courses.

To access FEE-HELP for any of our higher education courses, you need to apply for FEE-HELP and have an available HELP balance. You can find more information about your HELP balance on the myHELPBalance portal for students.

FEE-HELP is a student loan provided by the Australian Federal Government to eligible students.

If you are eligible for a FEE-HELP loan and have an available HELP balance, you can use it to pay all or part of your tuition fees, for your higher education course.

Visit the Study Assist website for more information on FEE-HELP loans.

FEE-HELP only covers your tuition fees and does not cover additional costs such as equipment or licences. Depending on your higher education course, there may be additional resource costs that you will need to cover.

For some subjects, you must buy equipment, protective clothing and textbooks. You may also need to pay license fees.

Visit your course page on the TAFE NSW website to view any additional costs.

View current eligibility requirements on the Study Assist website.

You can borrow up to the ‘combined HELP loan limit’ to pay your tuition fees. Your HELP balance includes all your FEE-HELP, VET student loans and VET FEE-HELP. Once you begin using your HELP loan limit, the amount of HELP you have left to borrow is known as your available 'HELP balance'.

Your HELP balance is renewable, meaning that repayments you make can be re-borrowed in the future. You can check your available HELP balance through myHELPbalance. You can find more information about the combined HELP loan limit and HELP balance on the Study Assist website. If your higher education course costs more than your available HELP balance, you will need to cover the cost yourself.

Your course fees are charged by subject. For each higher education subject that you pay for with your FEE-HELP loan, your loan will increase by the cost of the subject and an additional 20% loan fee (if applicable). This loan fee is added to your loan amount but does not count towards your combined HELP limit, or reduce your HELP balance.

The 20% loan fee is applied to undergraduate certificates, higher education diplomas, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees. The 20% loan fee does not apply to post graduate courses. Visit the Study Assist website to learn more.

When you apply for entry into your higher education course, TAFE NSW will advise you on how to apply for a FEE-HELP loan.

As part of your online enrolment you will need to select the option telling us that you are interested in a FEE-HELP loan

To get a FEE-HELP loan, you will need:

• your Tax File Number (TFN), or certificate of application for a TFN
• your Unique Student Identifier (USI), which you may already have, and can find using the USI website
• a Request for FEE-HELP Loan form, also known as an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF), that TAFE NSW will provide you
• to fill in and submit your eCAF form before the census date
• to have an available HELP balance.

You only need to apply for FEE-HELP once, to cover the duration of your course. If you change courses, you will need to submit a new application for FEE-HELP to cover the new course.

If you have already applied and want to check if your HELP loan has been approved, you will need to contact TAFE NSW.

When you apply for a FEE-HELP loan, there are a few important steps and deadlines to keep in mind:

1. Submitting your eCAF: You’ll need to complete the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) before the census date to apply for your loan. TAFE NSW will check if you’re eligible, and if you have enough HELP balance to cover your fees, your application will be successful once you submit the form.

2. Receiving your CAN: Within 28 days after the census date, you’ll get a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) in your student portal and by email. The CAN shows the units of study your loan covers and the amount reported to the Australian Government. You’ll receive a new CAN each semester to keep you updated.

3. Checking loan approval: If you want to check on your loan status after applying, you can contact TAFE NSW directly.

If you want to check on your loan status after applying, you can contact TAFE NSW directly.

Each semester there is a census date. Some of your actions will need to be made before the census date. The census date is the deadline to:

• pay your tuition fees upfront
• apply for a FEE-HELP loan to defer payment
• submit a ‘Request for a HELP loan form' (eCAF)
• formally withdraw from a subject or course without incurring a HELP debt
• formally withdraw from a subject to be eligible to apply for a refund (if you have paid your fees upfront).

Please note that once the census date passes, if you are enrolled in a course or subject, you are responsible for the tuition fee and any other fee(s) or charge(s) that may apply.

You can find the higher education census date and other important academic dates on the Academic Calendar page.

View our TAFE NSW Higher Education tuition fees, payments, HELP, refund and review policy for more information on the census date and fees.

Your FEE-HELP debt includes the total of your tuition fees and a loan fee of 20%. Your loan repayments will be automatically deducted from your salary through the Australian tax system once your salary meets or exceeds the minimum income threshold. You can also choose to make additional voluntary repayments to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at any time. You can find more information about your loan repayments via the Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) that you receive each semester in your registered email and student portal.

Visit the Study Assist website for more information on FEE-HELP debt payments.

Withdrawing before the census date

To withdraw from a higher education subject, you need to log into your student portal and withdraw from the subject/s.

If you withdraw before the census date, you will receive a full refund of your subject fees or a re-credit of your FEE-HELP loan.

Withdrawing after the census date

To withdraw from a higher education subject, you need to submit the withdrawal application form.

If you withdraw after the census date, you must still pay your fees. This means that depending on how you paid your fees, you may still have a FEE-HELP debt to repay or lose any upfront payments you made for that semester.

Withdrawing after the census date under special circumstances

If you need to withdraw after the census date because of special circumstances, you can apply:

• to have your FEE-HELP balance re-credited if you have taken out a FEE-HELP loan, or
• to have your tuition fees refunded if you have paid them upfront.

As part of your application, you will need to provide evidence of your special circumstances.

Special circumstances are specified under the Higher Education Support Act (HESA 2003) and listed on the application to re-credit FEE-HELP balance form. Please read these carefully to ensure you are eligible before applying. All decisions to re-credit a FEE-HELP balance are made following HESA requirements.

Requests for re-crediting a FEE-HELP debt should be made within 12 months of your withdrawal date. This timeframe may be extended if TAFE NSW is satisfied that your application could not be made within the time limit because of special circumstances.

If you have not withdrawn your enrolment, you must apply within 12 months of the last day of the subject/s in which you enrolled. Also note that you cannot apply for a re-credit for a subject if you have successfully completed that subject.

Visit the Study Assist website for more information on withdrawing after the census date under special circumstances.

Can I request a review of an unsuccessful application?

Yes, you can. To request a review of a decision, you need to ask your course coordinator for an ‘application to review a decision form’.

Yes, you may be able to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to exempt you from doing certain subjects.

You can do this if you have:

• completed other studies in a related field, or
• have extensive, relevant industry experience.

Speak to your course coordinator to understand your options or to start an application. You will need to include supporting documentation as part of your application.

You can also discuss whether you can apply for RPL with your teacher before you enrol in subjects. Once you have applied for RPL, you should attend class until you are formally advised that your application for exemption in certain subjects has been granted. If your application for exemption has been granted, you will not need to pay for those subjects and will have reduced fees.

If you're enrolled in a course that is cancelled, we will:

• offer you enrolment in a similar course of study
• refund any upfront payments for subjects that you have started but not completed because we no longer offer that course
• re-credit your FEE-HELP balance for the affected subjects.

Visit the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) page for more information.