What is VET Student Loans?
VET Student Loans is an income contingent loan program to assist eligible vocational education and training (VET) students to pay their tuition fees for selected courses at the Diploma level and above.
If you are an eligible student, the Department of Education and Training (the department) may approve your VET Student Loan for an approved course. The department will pay your loan directly to Media Makeup to cover all tuition fees. You will be responsible for any gap amount in the tuition fees, which are not covered by the loan.
You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and you will make repayments if you are earning above the minimum repayment threshold. You can make voluntary repayments at any time.
For more information visit www.employment.gov.au/vet-student-loans
VET Student Loans is only available for Approved Course Providers and Approved Courses.
Media Make up Academy & Agency Pty Ltd is an approved provider for the:
CUA51020 Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services)
CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen & Media
SHB50121 Diploma of Beauty Therapy
Am i eligible?
To be an eligible student, you must meet ALL of these criteria:
You are:
- an Australian citizen, or
- a qualifying New Zealand citizen, or
- a permanent humanitarian visa holder, who is usually resident in Australia.
- Your HELP balance (the amount of your HELP loan limit you have left) is more than $0. This means you have enough HELP loan limit remaining for your proposed studies to be covered by the loan.
- You are enrolled with an approved course provider in an approved course and have enrolled in accordance with the application requirements.
- You are studying the approved course primarily at a campus in Australia.
- You have been assessed by your approved course provider as academically suited to undertake the approved course on the basis of either:
- providing your Australian Year 12 Certificate; OR
- providing your International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) diploma OR
- providing a copy of a certificate showing you have been awarded a qualification at level 4 or above in the Australian Qualifications Framework (where the language of instruction was English); or at a level in a framework that preceded the AQF and is equivalent to level 4 or above in the AQF, OR
- displaying competence at Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy through an approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy test. In addition, your approved course provider must reasonably believe you show competence in completing the course.
- You meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
- You have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) or are otherwise exempt.
- You have given the required documents to your approved course provider and submitted the loan application form by the first census day no less than two business days after enrolling.
Refer to the Selection Policy & Entry Procedure on this page for more information
Loan Caps
Eligible students will be entitled for loans up to a capped amount for the approved course. The current loan caps through VET Student Loans are:
CUA51020 Diploma of Screen and Media (Specialist Make-up Services) $16,788
CUA60620 Advanced Diploma of Screen & Media $16,788
SHB50121 Diploma of Beauty Therapy $16,788
Depending on the course you enrol in, you may be required to pay a gap fee for any difference between the tuition fees and capped loan amount. Click on the Fee Schedule and Census dates link (below) for more information.
Is there a loan fee?
Non State Government subsidised students will be charged a 20% loan fee. The loan fee is added to the student loan, but is not included within the student’s lifetime HELP loan limit.
What is the Census Date?
The census date is the last date which students can withdraw from a unit of study without incurring a debt for that unit of study. A student’s census date is calculated as their nominated start date of the unit of study plus 20% of the course duration.
Refer to the fee schedule and census dates link (below) for a list of the census dates that refer to your course.
Repayment of VET Student Loans
Repaying the loan is required when your income reaches the repayment threshold.
The threshold can be found at www.studyassist.gov.au
VET Student Loans gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until its repaid.
Statement of Tuition Assurance for VET Student Loans
Download Statement of Tuition Assurance
What do you need to know before you enrol?
- Decide on your preferred course and check if the course is an approved VET Student Loans course
- Check if you meet the eligibility and entry requirements. Be prepared to provide evidence of identification (including Australian Birth Certificate or copy of your Visa), records of your past academic qualifications and undertake the Language, Literacy and Numeracy assessment when is required
- You must have ready a Tax File Number. This detail is required on your loan application form
- Read VSL Information Booklet v6.1
What happens if I withdraw?
If you do not wish to incur a liability for that part of the course, you must withdraw your enrolment in that part of the course, before the census day. You must withdraw in writing and in line with Media Makeup’s withdrawal procedure (below).
If you withdraw before the census date you will receive a full 100% refund of any tuition fees you have paid upfront and will not incur a student loan debt for that Unit of Study.
If you withdraw after the census date you will incur a debt, unless the debt is remitted under special circumstances. If special circumstances apply, you will need to apply for a refund/recredit. Please refer to the withdrawal, cancellation and re-crediting policy below.
VET Student Loans
VET Student Loans Information Booklet
VET Student Loans Selection Policy & Entry Procedure
VET Student Loan Withdrawal Policy
Privacy Policy and Procedure
VET Student Loans Fee Schedule and Census Dates
VET Student Loans Statement of Tuition
