Financing your studies

You might be eligible for HECS-HELP

HECS-HELP is a loan program to help eligible Commonwealth supported students pay the student contribution portion of their fees.

This means the balance of your student contribution amount is recorded as a debt against your tax file number.

You won’t need to start making repayments until you are earning the minimum repayment threshold. You will then start paying it back as a percentage of your wage.

HECS-HELP availability
Currently, HECS-HELP loans are available to the following domestic students:

• Australian citizens
• Permanent humanitarian visa holders
• New Zealand special category visa holders who meet the long-term residency requirements.

HECS-HELP is specifically for students who have been offered a Commonwealth supported place and there is no financial assessment to access a HELP loan.

Registering for HECS-HELP
When you receive an offer of a Commonwealth supported place, you will be directed to the Student Connect portal.

You will then complete a Request for Commonwealth Assistance form. You must provide a valid tax file number to access HECS-HELP.

Please note that you will only need to complete a Request for Commonwealth Assistance form once for your entire course. You do not need to complete it again unless you transfer courses.

What if I don’t register in time?
If you did not complete your HECS-HELP form or provide your tax file number at the time of completing your Commonwealth Assistance form, you can register in Student Connect anytime prior to the census date of the relevant study period.

Please note that any forms completed after census date will not take effect until the next study period.

Deferring your fees
If you have a HECS-HELP loan, your fees will be deferred automatically, providing you have an available HELP balance.
If you do not have any HELP balance available, you will not be eligible to defer your fees. For more information, visit Study Assist.

Repayments
You will make repayments to your HECS-HELP loan through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), not through ACU.

Where to go for more info
You can find more information about HECS-HELP on the Study Assist website.

Visit Study Assist

You might be eligible for FEE-HELP

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible fee-paying students to pay all or part of their tuition fees.

If you are an eligible domestic student with a domestic fee-paying offer, you will have the option to defer payment of your fees through the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP).

This means the balance of your tuition fees is recorded as a debt against your tax file number.

You won’t need to start making repayments until you are earning the minimum repayment threshold. You will then start paying it back as a percentage of your wage.

FEE-HELP availability
Currently, FEE-HELP loans are available to the following domestic students:

• Australian citizens
• Permanent humanitarian visa holders
• New Zealand special category visa holders who meet the long-term residency requirements.

FEE-HELP is specifically for students who have been offered a domestic fee-paying place.

Registering for FEE-HELP
When you receive a domestic fee-paying place, you will be directed to the Student Connect portal.

You will then have the option to complete a Request for FEE-HELP form. You must provide a valid tax file number in order to access FEE-HELP.

Please note that you will only need to complete a Request for FEE-HELP form once for your entire course. You do not need to complete it again unless you transfer courses.

What if I don’t register in time?
If you did not register for FEE-HELP or provide your tax file number at the time of accepting your offer, you can register in Student Connect anytime prior to the census date of the relevant study period.

Please note that any forms completed after census date will not take effect until the next study period.

Deferring your fees
If you have a FEE-HELP loan, your fees will be deferred automatically, providing you have an available HELP balance.

If you do not have any HELP balance available, you will not be eligible to defer your fees. For more information, visit Study Assist.

Repayments
You will make repayments to your FEE-HELP loan through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), not through ACU.

Where to go for more info
You can find more information about FEE-HELP on the Study Assist website.

Visit Study Assist

You might be eligible for SA-HELP

The SA-HELP loan is available to assist eligible students with paying their Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

Registering for SA-HELP
When you receive your offer of a place, you will be directed to the Student Connect portal.

You will then have to complete a Request for SA-HELP Assistance form. You will need to indicate on the form if you want to defer or not.

If you choose to defer, you will be prompted to provide a tax file number.

You can find more information about SA-HELP on the Study Assist website.

Visit Study Assist

You might be eligible for the Youth Allowance

The Youth Allowance provides financial help for young people who are studying full time.

It is a means-tested payment for full-time students and Australian apprentices aged 16 to 24.

You can find more information about the Youth Allowance, including eligibility and how to apply, via Centrelink on the Department of Human Services website.

Visit Human Services

You might be eligible for Austudy

Austudy is a means-tested payment for full-time students and Australian apprentices aged 25 years and over.

The scheme provides a regular payment, depending on your existing assets and income.

You can find more information about Austudy, including eligibility, payment amounts and how to apply, via Centrelink on the Department of Human Services website.

Visit Human Services

You might be eligible for ABSTUDY

The ABSTUDY scheme provides support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to improve access to and participation in secondary and tertiary education and training.

The scheme can assist with study costs, housing expenses and living costs.

You can find more information about ABSTUDY, including eligibility and how to lodge a claim, via Centrelink on the Department of Human Services website.

Visit Human Services

You might be eligible for OS-HELP

If you’re a Commonwealth supported student undertaking an international experience, you may be eligible for OS-HELP.

OS-HELP provides financial assistance to eligible students to undertake part of their course of study overseas.

The loan will be registered against your tax file number in the same way as other HELP loans.

OS-HELP may be used to cover expenses associated with the overseas study, such as:

• Airfares
• Accommodation
• Other travel or settling expenses

You can learn more about the loan, including amounts, eligibility, how to apply and application deadlines, by downloading our OS-HELP policy and guidelines.

OS-HELP Study Assist Government Website

You might be eligible for a travel grant

If you’re an ACU student undertaking an international experience, you may be eligible for an ACU Vice Chancellor and President’s Learning Abroad Grant.

You can learn more about the grant, including amounts, eligibility, how to apply and application deadlines, by downloading our travel grant guidelines.

ACU Learning Abroad Grant Guidelines (PDF, 248KB)

Student travel scholarships

We have a number of scholarships that support students travelling and studying abroad.

You can browse available scholarships, check your eligibility and find out how to apply by visiting our scholarships page.

United States federal student loans

We are a ‘Deferment Only’ institution and do not originate or disburse US Federal Student Loans.

However, we can certify deferments if you have already received US Federal Student Loans.

If you’re enrolled on a minimum half-time basis or greater, you can apply to defer repayments on your student loans.

You should contact your lender to obtain the appropriate form for us to certify.

If you need more information, visit US Federal Student Loans.

Private loans for US students

If you’re a student from the US, you may be eligible for private loans while studying at ACU.

Eligible US citizens studying outside the US may be eligible for private loans such as the Smart Option Student Loan by Sallie Mae.

If you need more information, visit Sallie Mae.

United States veterans funding

If you’re a US army veteran, you may be eligible to receive education funding from the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).

We are authorised to certify funding under the following education programs:

• Post 9/11 GI Bill®
• Montgomery GI Bill
• Veterans’ Education Assistance Program

Your chosen course must be approved by VA.

To confirm if your chosen course has been approved or for additional information on VA benefit administration please contact the School Certifying Official, Tenille Duggan.

If your course has not been approved, we can seek approval from the department for you.

If you need more information about the education benefits offered by VA, visit the official US government website.

To learn about ACU’s Veteran Support Program, click here.

Private loans for Canadian students

If you’re a Canadian student studying outside of Canada, you may be eligible for loans through Global Education Management Services (GEMS).

If you need more information, visit the RBC Royal Credit Line website.

Please note: If you apply for a GEMS loan, you’ll need to prepare a budget as part of the application process and you must sign your loan paperwork in person at an RBC Royal Bank branch in Canada.

Private loans for Indian students

If you’re an Indian student studying outside of India, you may be eligible for loans through Global Education Management Services (GEMS).

GEMS offers a wide range of services for Indian students through the Credila Indian Student Loan Program.

If you need more information, visit the GEMS website.

You may be eligible for Rent Assistance

Rent Assistance is a government payment to eligible individuals to help with rental costs.

The scheme provides extra assistance if you have a low income and rent your accommodation, generally in the private rental market.

You can find out more about the scheme, including eligibility and how to claim, at the Human Services website.

Visit Human Services

You may be eligible for the Fares Allowance

If you need to live away from home to undertake your studies, you could be eligible for the Fares Allowance.

The scheme will help cover travel costs for eligible students, including recipients of ABSTUDY, Austudy and students receiving the Youth Allowance.

You can find out more about the scheme, including eligibility and how to claim, at the Human Services website.

Visit Human Services