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SA-HELPinformation for 2013Need help paying yourstudent services andamenities fees?www.studyassist.gov.au
You must read this bookletbefore signing the commonwealthassistance form below.when you sign this form, you declarethat you have read this bookletand that you are aware of yourobligations under SA-help.SA-HELP form1297ARequest for SA-HELP assistanceBefore completing this form, you must read theSA-HELP information booklet.You must: complete this form if you are requesting SA-HELP assistance to pay your student servicesand amenities fee; ensure that you complete each question correctly, otherwise your form will not be valid;and return the completed form to the student administration at your higher education provider(provider) by the date advised by your provider. You will be provided with a copy of thisform for your records.IMPORTANT: If you submit this form by the required date you will be entitled to SA-HELP assistance forall student services and amenities fees that are payable to your provider for the durationof your course of study or bridging course for overseas-trained professionals; You can still pay some or all of the fee by the date payable; You will only receive a loan for any unpaid amount; and You will need to submit a new form if you change your course or provider, or are enrolledwith more than one provider.1297A – 201309/12USING THIS BOOKLET As you read through, you will notice that certain terms arehighlighted in green. These terms are defined in the glossary. If you have a specific question after reading this booklet,the contacts list at the end of this booklet will help you. More information about SA-HELP is available atwww.studyassist.gov.au.IMPORTANT NOTE: The Department of Industry,Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Educationhas endeavoured to ensure that the information in thispublication is consistent with the Higher Education SupportAct 2003 (the Act) and guidelines made under the Act,available at www.comlaw.gov.au. However, there maybe differences between this publication and the Actor guidelines - if there is any inconsistency the Act willtake precedence.
Who is this booklet for?This booklet is for eligible higher education students,who are enrolled in a course of study with an approvedprovider, and who wish to use a SA-HELP loan to paytheir student services and amenities fee.This booklet is a concise summary of the key pointsa person accessing the SA-HELP loan scheme needsto know.If, after reading this booklet, you require additionalinformation about the student services and amenitiesfee or SA-HELP, please visit the Study Assist website atwww.studyassist.gov.au. For detailed information,you may also refer to the new publication, the CSP andHELP Handbook.If you need information about loans for studentsenrolled in Commonwealth supported places orfee paying places, please see the Commonwealthsupported places and HECS-HELP information for 2013booklet or the FEE-HELP information for 2013 booklet.The CSP and HELP Handbook and all the HELPstudent information booklets are available fromwww.studyassist.gov.au.SA-HELP information for 2013i
ContentsGlossary.iv1. Student services and amenities fee. 11.1 What is the student services and amenities fee?. 11.2 What can approved providers spend thefee on?. 11.3 How much is the fee?. 21.4 When will I have to pay the fee?. 21.5 What if I enrol at multiple approved providers?. 22. The SA-HELP scheme. 32.1 What is SA-HELP?. 32.2 Am I eligible for SA-HELP?. 32.3 How much can I borrow?. 32.4 Will I be charged interest?. 42.5 Is there a loan fee?. 42.6 If I withdraw from my approved providerafter the date on which the fee is payable,will I still have a SA-HELP debt?. 43. Applying for a SA-HELP loan. 53.1 How do I apply for SA-HELP?. 53.2 Do I need to apply for SA-HELP each year?. 53.3 When is the last day to access a SA-HELP loan?. 64. Keeping track of your SA-HELP loan. 74.1 Your CAN. 74.2 Your Commonwealth Higher Education StudentSupport Number (CHESSN) and myUniAssist. 74.3 How can I get my SA-HELP debt removed?. 85. Repaying your HELP debt. 95.1 When do I have to start paying back the loan?. 95.2 Is there a bonus for voluntary repayments?. 95.3 Are repayments tax deductible?.10iiwww.studyassist.gov.au
Contacts and additional information.11Study Assist website.11The CSP and HELP Handbook.11Your approved provider.11Department of Industry, Innovation, Science,Research and Tertiary Education.12Australian Taxation Office.12Department of Human Services.13Department of Immigration and Citizenship.13SA-HELP information for 2013iii
GlossaryAccumulated HELP debt: The consolidated total ofany SA-HELP, HECS-HELP, OS-HELP, FEE-HELP andVET FEE-HELP debts you have incurred (including anyGovernment study loans incurred before 2005).Approved provider: In this booklet, this termmeans a university or other accredited highereducation provider approved to offer SA-HELP loansto eligible students.ATO: Australian Taxation Office.CAN (Commonwealth Assistance Notice): A noticefrom your approved provider detailing informationabout the Commonwealth assistance you have used forthe study period.CSP and HELP Handbook: A comprehensive Handbookthat contains information about Commonwealthsupported places and the various HELP loans availableto assist eligible tertiary students pay for their study.Course of study: In this booklet, this term meansa course leading to a higher education award,an enabling course or a bridging course foroverseas-trained professionals.HELP (Higher Education Loan Program):An Australian Government loan program that helpseligible students pay their student services andamenities fee (SA-HELP), student contributions(HECS-HELP), overseas study expenses (OS-HELP)or tuition fees (FEE-HELP or VET FEE-HELP). All HELPloans are repaid through the Australian tax system.Higher Education Support Act 2003: TheCommonwealth legislation that specifies therequirements to access a HELP loan and to accessa Commonwealth supported place.ivwww.studyassist.gov.au
Request for SA-HELP assistance form: The form thatyou must submit to your approved provider to applyfor a SA-HELP loan.SA-HELP: An Australian Government loan scheme thatassists eligible higher education students pay theirstudent services and amenities fee.Student services and amenities fee: A fee thatapproved providers can charge enrolled students forstudent services and amenities of a non-academicnature.Study Assist (www.studyassist.gov.au): A websiteproviding information about options for financing yourtertiary study, including information on student loans,lists of approved providers and courses and informationon student income support.TFN (tax file number): Your unique identificationnumber from the ATO for everything tax-related,including making repayments on your HELP debt.SA-HELP information for 2013v
1. Student services andamenities feeMore information about the student services andamenities fee is available from the CSP and HELPHandbook at www.studyassist.gov.au.1.1What is the student services andamenities fee?The student services and amenities fee is a fee thatapproved providers can charge their students forstudent services and amenities of a non-academicnature.1.2What can approved providers spendthe fee on?Approved providers can only spend the fee onallowable services and amenities such as sporting andrecreational activities, employment and career advice,child care, financial advice and food services.Approved providers cannot spend the fee to support: a political party; or the election of a person to a Commonwealth,State or Territory, or local government body.Approved providers must not require you to become amember of a student organisation.The Guidelines made under the Higher EducationSupport Act 2003 has an important requirement forapproved providers to consult students and studentgroups about the student services and amenities feeand its uses.1www.studyassist.gov.au
1.3How much is the fee?The maximum student services and amenities fee thatcan be charged to a full-time student in 2013 is 273.However, approved providers can choose to chargedifferent groups of students different amounts, likeundergraduate and postgraduate students.If you are a student undertaking less than 75% of thenormal full-time study load, you cannot be chargedmore than 75% of the amount your approved provideris charging to full-time students.If your approved provider has multiple fees and youare subject to more than one fee, you cannot becharged more than 273 for the calendar year at thatparticular approved provider. You should contact yourapproved provider directly to find out which fee(s) willapply to you.Approved providers determine the level of fee, up tothe maximum, that they will charge.1.4When will I have to pay the fee?You should pay the fee or submit your Request forSA-HELP assistance form by the date advised by yourapproved provider. If you do not organise paymentof the fee by your approved provider’s deadline, yourenrolment may be affected.1.5What if I enrol at multiple approvedproviders?If you are enrolled at multiple approved providers oryou have transferred your study to another approvedprovider, you may be required to pay the fee again.The Guidelines made under the Higher EducationSupport Act 2003 do not prevent approved providersfrom charging each student enrolled with them thestudent services and amenities fee, regardless ofwhether that particular student has incurred a fee toanother provider for the same study period.SA-HELP information for 20132
2. The SA-HELP schemeMore information about SA-HELP, including theeligibility requirements, is available from the CSP andHELP Handbook at www.studyassist.gov.au.2.1What is SA-HELP?SA-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible highereducation students to pay their student services andamenities fee. Eligible students can choose to useSA-HELP to defer all or part of their fee for the relevantyear/study period.2.2Am I eligible for SA-HELP?To be eligible for SA-HELP, you must be enrolled ina course of study with an approved provider andbe either: an Australian citizen; ORa permanent humanitarian visa holder.If you are a permanent non-humanitarian visa holder ora New Zealand citizen, you are not eligible forSA-HELP.If you are not eligible for SA-HELP, you will need toconfirm upfront payment dates and arrangementswith your approved provider directly. If you cannotafford to pay the entire fee upfront, you shouldcontact your approved provider directly as somemay offer their own payment options or plans.2.3How much can I borrow?Eligible students may access a SA-HELP loan for all orpart of the student services and amenities fee beingcharged to them.3www.studyassist.gov.au
2.4Will I be charged interest?No. There is no interest charged on HELP debts.However your debt will be indexed on 1 June eachyear to maintain its real value to reflect changesin the Consumer Price Index. Current and pastindexation rates are available from the ATO website atwww.ato.gov.au.2.5Is there a loan fee?No. There is no loan or application fee for accessingSA-HELP.2.6If I withdraw from my approvedprovider after the date on whichthe fee is payable, will I still havea SA-HELP debt?Yes. Your approved provider is not able to remove yourSA-HELP debt once it is incurred.Contact your approved provider directly for moreinformation about whether it has a refund policyin place.SA-HELP information for 20134
3. Applying for aSA-HELP loanMore information about applying for SA-HELP isavailable from the CSP and HELP Handbook atwww.studyassist.gov.au.3.1How do I apply for SA-HELP?To apply for SA-HELP, you will need to submit theRequest for SA-HELP assistance form to your approvedprovider by the date payable, as advised by yourapproved provider.If you wish to use a SA-HELP loan to pay your studentservices and amenities fee, you must have a personal,valid TFN, even if you do not have a job. This isbecause repayments on your HELP debt are madethrough the Australian taxation system. If you do notprovide your own TFN on the form or you give anincorrect one, your form will not be valid and you willnot be able to use a SA-HELP loan for that year/studyperiod, depending on how your approved providercharges the fee.If you do not have a TFN, you will have to submit aCertificate of application for a TFN. This is available fromthe ATO. If you do not provide this information, yourform will not be valid and you will not be eligible forSA-HELP. You must advise your approved provider ofyour TFN when you receive it.3.2Do I need to apply for SA-HELPeach year?You will only need to apply once per course of study ateach approved provider that you are enrolled at. If youchange your course of study or transfer to a differentapproved provider, you will need to submit anotherRequest for SA-HELP assistance form.5www.studyassist.gov.au
3.3When is the last day to access aSA-HELP loan?Each approved provider sets their own deadline forpayment of the fee, so you will need to check withyour approved provider to make sure you do not missthe deadline. If you miss the deadline, you will not beentitled to a SA-HELP loan.SA-HELP information for 20136
4. Keeping track of yourSA-HELP loanMore information about keeping track of your SA-HELPloan is available from the CSP and HELP Handbook atwww.studyassist.gov.au.4.1Your CANYour approved provider will send you a CAN within28 days of the date the fee must be paid. Your CAN willtell you the amount of the student services and amenitiesfee being changed to you and the amount of HELP debtyou have incurred for that study.Check your CAN carefully to make sure that: the services and amenities fee/s being charged to youare the same as those published on your approvedprovider’s website.If you believe that the information on your CANis incorrect, you have 14 days to submit a writtencorrection to your approved provider (some approvedproviders may allow for a longer correction period).4.2Your Commonwealth Higher EducationStudent Support Number (CHESSN)and myUniAssistYou will be allocated a CHESSN when you first applyfor admission to your approved provider or TertiaryAdmissions Centre. The CHESSN is a unique identificationnumber that remains with you during and after yourstudies. It helps you, your approved provider and theAustralian Government keep up to date with informationabout the Commonwealth assistance for tertiarystudy that you have used. You will be notified of yourCHESSN on your CAN. You can use your CHESSN, andother personal identifying details, to access myUniAssistat www.studyassist.gov.au. myUniAssist providesinformation on how much Commonwealth assistanceyou have received.7www.studyassist.gov.au
As SA-HELP does not have a limit on the amount you canuse (it is only limited by the maximum student servicesand amenities fee that can be charged for the year),myUniAssist will not record this information. However,as there are limits on the amount of OS-HELP, FEE-HELPand VET FEE-HELP a person can use, it will record thisinformation.myUniAssist is updated with details about your HELPusage as reported by your approved provider. It willnot provide information about the amount of yourHELP debt as repayments are made to the ATO andmyUniAssist is not updated with this information.4.3How can I get my SA-HELP debtremoved?It is not possible to remove your SA-HELP debt once it isincurred. You should contact your approved provider formore information about whether it has a refund policy inplace for the student services and amenities fee.SA-HELP information for 20138
5. Repaying your HELP debtMore information about HELP repayments, includingbonuses for voluntary repayments, is availablefrom the Repayments section of the CSP and HELPHandbook at www.studyassist.gov.au. It also containsfurther information about how the ATO calculatesrepayment rates.5.1When do I have to start paying backthe loan?Your SA-HELP debt becomes part of your accumulatedHELP debt. This is the total of any SA-HELP, HECS-HELP,OS-HELP, FEE-HELP and VET FEE-HELP debts you haveincurred for your study. Your accumulated HELP debtwill also include any Australian Government study loansyou incurred prior to 2005.You must start repaying your HELP debt when yourrepayment income is above the minimum repaymentthreshold for compulsory repayment, which is 49,095for the 2012-13 income year. Repayments madethrough the Australian taxation system are calledcompulsory repayments. Compulsory repaymentscontinue until you have repaid your whole debt.The amount you repay each year is calculated as apercentage of your repayment income. The percentageincreases as your income increases.5.2Is there a bonus for voluntaryrepayments?If you make a voluntary repayment of 500 or more,you will receive a bonus of 5%. This means youraccount will be credited with an additional 5% of yourpayment. You should note that the bonus is 5% of thepayment amount, not 5% of the outstanding debt.9www.studyassist.gov.au
For example, if you make a voluntary repaymentof 500, your bonus is 5% of 500 25. As such,the value of your voluntary repayment is yourpayment ( 500) the bonus amount ( 25) 525.You may benefit if you make a voluntary paymentbefore indexation is applied to your HELP debt on1 June each year. If you intend to make a paymentbefore this date it is important to allow enoughtime for the payment to be received and processedby the ATO before 1 June. Voluntary repaymentsare in addition to compulsory repayments and arenot refundable.There are several ways you can make a voluntaryrepayment, including BPAY, direct credit, mail, or inperson at an Australia Post outlet. For more informationon making a voluntary repayment, contact the ATO.5.3Are repayments tax deductible?Voluntary repayments made by you or someoneother than your employer are not tax deductible.Your employer may be able to claim a tax deductionfor voluntary repayments it makes on your behalf,but it may also be liable for fringe benefits tax on therepayments. For more information, contact the ATO.SA-HELP information for 201310
Contacts and additionalinformationStudy Assist website(www.studyassist.gov.au)The Study Assist website provides information aboutoptions for financing tertiary study, including: student HELP loans available in both the highereducation and vocational education and trainingsectors; courses, institutions and other approved providersthat offer Australian Government assistance; and student income support and Australian Scholarshipsand Awards.The CSP and HELP HandbookIf you are seeking more information about thestudent services and amenities fee, SA-HELP or aboutHELP loans in general, the CSP and HELP Handbookprovides in depth information about all loans availableunder the HELP scheme. It is available from thePublications page under the Helpful Resources sectionat www.studyassist.gov.au.Your approved providerThe student administration area at your approvedprovider will be able to help you with:11 the amount of your student services andamenities fee; when you must pay the fee; eligibility criteria for SA-HELP; and applying for SA-HELP.www.studyassist.gov.au
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science,Research and Tertiary EducationThe Department can help you with: SA-HELP and other loans available under the HELPscheme; and other forms of Australian Government assistance.Contact details: visit www.studyassist.gov.au (click on ‘Contact us’to complete a Student HELP loans enquiryform online); call the student enquiry line on 1800 020 108( 61 3 9938 2545 from outside Australia); or call the student enquiry line on 1800 554 609 TTYfor hearing or speech impaired students.Australian Taxation OfficeThe Australian Taxation Office can help you with: your accumulated HELP debt and compulsoryrepayments; and bonuses on voluntary repayments.Contact details: visit www.ato.gov.au; call 1300 720 092 to get the booklet Repaying yourHELP debt in 2012-2013; call 13 28 61 for information about your HELPaccount and personal tax topics; call 133 677 TTY or 1300 555 727 TTY for hearingor speech impaired students; or write to PO BOX 1032, Albury NSW 2640 (do notsent voluntary repayments to this address).SA-HELP information for 201312
Department of Human ServicesThe Department can help you with: Youth Allowance, Austudy and other forms ofstudent income support assistance.Contact details: visit www.HumanServices.gov.au; call Youth and Student Services on 13 24 90 forinformation on Youth Allowance, Austudy andPensioner Education Supplement; call 13 23 17 for information on ABSTUDY; call 1800 810 586 for TTY payment enquiries; or call 13 12 02 for information in languages otherthan English.Department of Immigration andCitizenshipThe Department can help you with: visas; and Australian citizenship.Contact details:13 visit www.immi.gov.au for visa information; visit www.citizenship.gov.au for citizenshipinformation; call 13 18 81 for visa enquiries; or call 13 18 80 for citizenship enquiries.www.studyassist.gov.au
NotesSA-HELP information for 201314
Notes15www.studyassist.gov.au
Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2012ISSN 1449-9282This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permittedunder the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproducedby any process without prior written permission fromthe Commonwealth. Requests and enquiries concerningreproduction and rights should be addressed to theCommonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney General’sDepartment, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, BartonACT 2600 or posted at http://www.ag.gov.au/cca.Printed on 55% recycled paper
SA-HELP is a loan scheme that assists eligible higher education students to pay their student services and amenities fee. Eligible students can choose to use SA-HELP to defer all or part of their fee for the relevant year/study period. 2.2 Am I eligible for SA-HELP? To be eligible for SA-HELP, you must be enrolled in
