Stanley College is an approved FEE-HELP provider and offers fee-paying places within its higher education courses. Eligible domestic students may elect to defer all or part of their tuition fees by accessing the Commonwealth Government's Higher Education Loan Program (HELP).
FEE-HELP is an Australian government loan for eligible higher education students to pay tuition fees. You cannot use it for accommodation, laptops, or textbooks. If eligible, FEE- HELP can cover all parts of your tuition fees up to a maximum amount, which is the FEE- HELP loan limit.
Visit the StudyAssist website for more information.
All courses at the Higher Education level are applicable for FEE-HELP. Currently, all our Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses at Stanley College are applicable for FEE-HELP, but you need to meet the eligibility criteria.
You can only get FEE-HELP if you meet the citizenship and residency requirements. You must be either:
- an Australian citizen who will complete at least one unit of your course of study in Australia
- a NZ SCV holder who meets the long-term residency requirements and who is resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s)
- a permanent visa holder who held a NZ special category visa immediately prior to your permanent visa and you previously met the long-term residency requirements
- a permanent humanitarian visa holder or eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder who is resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s)
- a permanent visa holder who is undertaking bridging study for overseas-trained professionals and who is resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s)
- a pacific engagement visa holder who is resident in Australia for the duration of your unit(s)
Note: a pacific engagement visa holder became eligible from 1 February 2024.
You must also:
- meet the TFN requirements
- meet the USI requirements
- have enough available HELP balance
- be assessed as a genuine student and as academically suitable for your unit of study
- maintain a reasonable study load of no more than 2 EFTSL per year unless approved by your provider or providers to study a higher load
- be enrolled correctly at your provider on or before the census date
- have submitted a valid FEE-HELP eCAF to your provider on or before the census date (or earlier administrative date)
You can also see what government financial assistance you may be eligible for by using the Eligibility Tool.
There is a fixed maximum amount that you can borrow in your lifetime, called the FEE-HELP limit. The HELP loan limit includes all previous FEE-HELP, VET FEE-HELP (closed) and VET Student Loan amounts you have borrowed. For 2025, the HELP loan limit is $126,839 for most students, but there is a higher limit for some approved courses.
Once you begin using your HELP loan limit, the amount of HELP you have left to borrow is known as your available 'HELP balance'. You can view your FEE-HELP balance through the myHELPbalance portal. Please note that this portal will not show your current session usage so please check your Commonwealth Assistance Notices for your latest usage.
If you receive an offer to study for a Bachelor's degree course and are eligible for FEE- HELP, you can apply by filling out an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (Ecaf). You will need to quote your tax file number or provide a Certificate of Application for a tax file number. The form must be submitted before the census date to ensure fees are deferred onto your loan.
For further information, visit the Government's FEE-HELP page.