VET Student Loans
Note: VET Student Loans commenced on 1 January 2017, replacing the previous VET FEE-HELP scheme. For more information, visit the VET Student Loans page on the Department of Education and Training website.
For the relevant forms, fact sheets and key information, please see the following page: VET Student Loan Information
Download Wodonga TAFE's Diploma/Advanced Diploma Enrolment further information sheet
What is VET Student Loans?
Click here to view VET Student Loans tuition fees and census dates.
VET Student Loans (VETSL) is an Australian Government loan scheme available to you if you are studying approved courses at the diploma or advanced diploma level, whether you are paying fees at the Victorian Government-subsidised rate or at the fee-for-service rate.
If you meet the VETSL eligibility criteria (see below) you can apply to the Australian Government to pay fees on your behalf. You will then have to repay this loan through your income tax when you start earning above a certain threshold amount. The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2021-22 income year is $47,014. The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2022-23 income year is $48,361. Further information is available via the Australian Taxation Office website.
To be eligible for VET Student Loans you must:
- be an Australian citizen, hold a permanent humanitarian visa or be a qualifying New Zealand citizen; and
- be a resident in Australia during your training; and
- have (or have applied for) a tax file number (TFN), and
- have not have exceeded the HELP Loan limit (For 2022, the HELP loan limit is $109,206 for most students).
For more information refer to the StudyAssist website.
Student Entry Procedure
In accordance with the VET Student Loans Act 2016, all students wishing to apply for a Commonwealth VET student loan must be assessed for academic suitability to undertake a high level VET qualification.
This academic assessment is in addition to any entry requirements that may be required for the specific course you are undertaking. If you are applying for a Diploma or Advanced Diploma level course at Wodonga TAFE you will need to satisfy one of the following requirements.
- Provide a copy of your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education that has been awarded by an Australian agency or authority indicating your completion of Year 12, OR
- Provide evidence of successful completion of an Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher qualification (where the language of instruction is English) OR
- Undertake a reading and numeracy assessment using an approved assessment tool that demonstrates a minimum Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Please note that Wodonga TAFE will provide you with details on how to undertake this supervised assessment when you apply and will notify you of the results of this assessment as soon as possible.
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This process will be conducted with honesty and integrity
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Results of this assessment are retained by Wodonga TAFE for at least 5 years and are reported to the Secretary of the Department of Education, Skills and Employments in the form, manner and when requested by the Secretary.
Note: If you are not able to meet any of these requirements, you will not be eligible to apply for a Commonwealth VET Student loan.
We will review your application and if you meet the entry requirements you will be admitted into your chosen course. If you do not meet the entry requirements for the course we will work with you to identify other learning opportunities that may assist in preparing you to meet the requirements.
It is also important to note that Wodonga TAFE is required to retain a copy of the relevant certificate or assessment results for at least 5 years.
How to apply
Before you apply for VET Student Loan assistance, you must read the VET Student Loans information booklet which is designed to assist students to understand VET Student Loans and their rights and responsibilities when accessing VET Student Loans assistance.
The information in the booklet should be kept for reference: VET Student Loans Information Booklet - Department of Education, Skills and Employment, Australian Government (dese.gov.au)
After you have read the booklet, contact Administration Services at Wodonga TAFE for a CF152 Vet Student Loan Form. By signing and submitting the form you are declaring that you have read the booklet and you are aware of your obligations under the VET Student Loans program.
Wodonga TAFE will lodge the information collected on the CF152 through the eCAF system, where you must finalise your eCAF (loan application) by 11.59am on or before the first census day you wish to access the loan for.
Census Dates
The census date is the most important date for you to know about in terms of your loan. The census date is the last day you can:
- complete the eCAF to access a VET Student Loan, or
- withdraw your enrolment without incurring the cost or debt for that unit of study.
Every part of a course (unit/subject) has its own census date so that you incur debts as you progress through your course, not for the whole course at the beginning. You will be enrolled in multiple census dates over the period of your course with a minimum of 3 census dates per full course enrolment. View Census Dates.
Unit or Course Withdrawal/Refund
For students that do not want to continue their studies in a Diploma or Advanced Diploma course the following rules apply.
- If you withdraw from the unit on or before the census date you will not incur a debt for that part of your course. If you have already made an upfront payment of your tuition fees you will receive a refund for these fees.
- If you fail a part of a course (unit or subject), or withdraw from a unit after the census date, you will still have to pay the tuition fee for that unit. If you used a VET Student loan, you will incur a HELP debt. If you made an upfront payment, you are not eligible for a refund of that payment.
- If you failed the unit or withdrew after the census date because you became seriously ill or because of other special circumstances, you can apply to have your HELP debt removed or your fees refunded. Please refer to CP026 Learner Review (Re-crediting a VETSL Balance) and POL19 VETSL Tuition Fee Refund Policy
- If you withdraw from an approved course, or a part of an approved course, the course provider must not, after the withdrawal, enrol the student in an approved course or a part of an approved course without the written permission of the student (which must be given after the withdrawal).
- A refund of unused materials will be at the discretion of the delivery department Director.
If you wish to withdraw from a Diploma/Advanced Diploma course or unit please contact Customer Engagement (1300 698233) or alternatively please visit the Course Withdrawal page and complete and submit the form on that page.
In the event of course cancellation, Wodonga TAFE will comply with the VSL Rules, act ethically and meet their responsibilities to students to:
- make reasonable efforts to inform all affected students about the course cancellation
- make available to each student an accurate and complete record of their progress towards each competency in their course of study
- deal with or resolve any matter that arose during, or that relates to, the period when Wodonga TAFE were the approved VSL provider
- Provide the student with at least 28 days to initiate grievance procedures before the cancellation take final effect: and
- Provide for the cancellation to take final effect only after any grievance procedures initiate by the student have been completed
- Refund/credit students for fees relating to units that have not yet commenced or been finalised. Fees for units that have been successfully completed will not be refunded/credited.*
* The above may be subject to change pending any grievance/appeal outcome.
Wodonga TAFE (the First Provider) is required to provide a tuition assurance arrangement for Australian citizens or holders of an Australian permanent humanitarian visa who are enrolled in specific courses it offers. This requirement is to protect students in the event that Wodonga TAFE ceases to provide a VET course of study in which a student is enrolled.
Wodonga TAFE will work with affected students to identify a replacement course and arrange for students to be placed with replacement providers.
Replacement courses must meet the following requirements:
- The course must lead to the same or comparable qualification as the original course;
- The mode of delivery of the replacement course must be the same as or, with the student’s consent, similar to the mode of delivery for the original course;
- The location of the replacement course must be reasonable, having regard to the costs of, and the time required for, a student’s travel; and
- The student will not incur additional fees that are unreasonable and will be able to attend the replacement course without unreasonable impacts on the student’s prior commitments.
Affected students will be offered a replacement course and may seek a review about whether the course offered to them meets the requirements for replacement courses.
A student who accepts the replacement course offered will not be required to pay the replacement provider for the replacement components of the replacement course. However, the fees payable for the remainder of the replacement course may be different from the fees payable for the original course.
A student who accepts the replacement course offered will also receive course credits for parts of the original course successfully completed by the student, as evidenced by:
- A copy of a statement of attainment or other Australian Qualifications Framework certification document issued by the course provider or an authorised issuing organisation in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework; or
- A copy of an authenticated VET transcript issued by the Student Identifiers registrar.
Each affected student will have a period of 6 months in which to accept the replacement course offer. The Department may extend that period in circumstances that justify an extension.
If an affected student enrols in a course that is not a replacement course, the student may be required to pay additional tuition fees, and might not receive the course credits the student would have received if the student had enrolled in a replacement course.
For more information on the withdrawal procedure please see this document: CP005 Withdrawal and Refunds Procedure
Privacy notice
We may disclose your personal information to Australian Government agencies, including Services Australia, where this is required or authorised by Australian law.
Information about your enrolment with us may be disclosed if you are claiming or receiving a payment from Services Australia.
You are still required to notify Services Australia of any change in circumstances that may affect your payment.
Personal information disclosed to Services Australia is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. More information about the way Services Australia handles personal information can be found on their privacy webpage.
More information
Students who would like to access VET Student Loans assistance are invited to discuss their eligibility with our Administration Services team.
Phone 1300 69 8233 | Email fees@wodongatafe.edu.au