SA-HELP loan

You need to submit your SA-HELP assistance form by the census date for the topics concerned.

Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirement.

Only Australian citizens, permanent humanitarian visa holders and New Zealand citizens who have been long-term residents of Australia since childhood and meet certain eligibility criteria, or a pacific engagement visa (PEV) holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your topics(s) are eligible to defer fees using HELP loans.

Other New Zealand citizens and permanent residents are not eligible to defer fees and must pay their student services and amenities fees upfront.

View more information at Study Assist.

No, once you've successfully lodged your form, it's valid for the length of your course. 

You only need to submit a new Request for SA-HELP assistance form if: 

• you're studying multiple courses - submit a form for each course
  
• you transfer from one course to another - submit a form for the new course.

In some cases, where you're readmitted to a course of study that you've been absent from, you may need to submit a new Request for SA-HELP assistance form for that course.

You can complete and submit your SA-HELP form through the Student System. 

If you don't submit your form by the due date -census date- you will need to pay the student services and amenities fee that apply for all enrolled topics, up to the date that you submit your form. 

When your form has been submitted and approved, all student services and amenities fees for census dates, on or after the submission date, will be deferred to your SA-HELP loan. 

Any unpaid student services and amenities fees will be subject to the University's Students with Outstanding Debt policy.

A Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is a statement of your enrolment, a record of the Commonwealth assistance you have accessed as part of your studies and shows what has been deferred via a HELP program for future payment through the Australian Taxation Office.

Your CAN is not an invoice and does not require payment. If you're enrolled in semester and non-semester topics you may receive multiple CANs within the same semester. CANs are generated based on the census date for each topic you're studying.

A CAN is provided to all students who have received Commonwealth assistance, and will include:

• information about your enrolment
• HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP and SA-HELP loan amounts
• any up-front payments (student contributions) you've made
• any loan fee(s) you have incurred.

In accordance with Commonwealth legislation, you'll be provided with a CAN within 28 days:

• of a topics’ census date for which you've received Commonwealth assistance via HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP
• of the date the debt is incurred for SA-HELP and OS-HELP.

You’ll receive a notification to your Flinders email address when your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is available. You can also access your CAN in the Student System:

1. Go to My Details.
2. Select Communication.
3. Search for Commonwealth Assistance Notice Report.
4. Click View to see or download the document.

If you withdraw before the census date for your enrolled topics, you won't have a SA-HELP debt.

If you withdraw after the census date for your enrolled topics, you'll have a SA-HELP debt. The University cannot remove or change this debt as your loan is with the Commonwealth government.

See more information at Study Assist.

You don't need to start repaying your HECS-HELP debt until your income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment.

In the 2024 - 2025 tax year the income threshold is $54,435.  Visit the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) website for more information about repayments, including early voluntary repayments.

To check your current outstanding HELP balance, you can either contact the ATO on 13 28 61 or log in to myGov and click on the 'Accounts' tab to access your 'loan accounts'. 

For more information about accessing your current outstanding HELP balance, visit the ATO's Repaying your student debt website.