HELP and VET student loans
There are many types of student loans available. Find out if you're eligible to apply for one.
Student loans allow you to defer your university or TAFE fee payments. If you receive one, you'll only have to start repaying the debt through the tax system once your income reaches the repayment threshold.
There are lots of different kinds of loans available – find out if you fit the eligibility criteria and how to apply. If you're a New Zealand Citizen and need to update your eligibility, follow our instructions.
Types of loans
Am I eligible for a loan?
How much can I borrow?
There’s a cap on how much you can borrow through HELP loans. This is called your HELP loan limit, and it's set by the Australian Government each year.
Your limit depends on what you’re studying. In 2025, most students have a HELP loan limit of $126,839, but students studying medicine, dentistry, vet science or aviation may have a higher limit.
You can find out more about the HELP loan limit on the Study Assist website, and you can use the myHELPbalance portal to view your available balance.
How to update your loan eligibility
Permanent residents, new Australian citizens and New Zealand citizens who are Special Category Visa (SCV) holders and meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for HELP assistance. To update your eligibility, follow the instructions below.
New Zealand citizens
You'll need to show documents that prove:
1. Your New Zealand citizenship and SCV status:
- New Zealand passport
- International movement record
2. That you have lived in Australia for at least eight of the last ten years and 18 months of the last two years. Examples include:
- certificate of application for a Tax File Number, Tax File Number advice or notification of assessment of income tax dated from when you were a minor
- pay slips or payment summaries from when you were a minor
- stamped passport
- Australian student ID card or concession card
- Australian proof of age card from when you were a minor
- enrolment papers from when you were a minor
- school reports or certificates.
Permanent residents or new Australian citizens
You'll need to provide legally certified evidence of your citizenship status, such as:
- Australian citizenship certificate
- Australian passport
- electronic record of your permanent visa.
Submit your supporting documents via our online enquiry portal. Select 'Form or supporting document submission' on the home page, then log in using your student email address and password and follow the instructions.
You must do this at least two weeks before the next census date.
Once you've uploaded your documents, we'll review them and let you know what the outcome is via your student email. If your eligibility is confirmed, you'll need to complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) to apply for a HELP loan. Find out more about eCAFs on our enrolment page.
If you don't know whether you're a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder, you can check via the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system. You can also get copies of your international movement records from the Department of Home Affairs.
Commonwealth Assistance Notice
The Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) is an official document that contains information about your enrolment, fees, payments and loans. We’ll send you an email after census date to let you know that yours is available through my Student Centre. You’ll get a new CAN every semester that you’re enrolled.
If you’ve applied for FEE-HELP, SA-HELP, OS-HELP or a VET Student Loan, your CAN will include:
- the units of study you’re enrolled in
- the tuition fees you've been charged
- any upfront payments you’ve made
- any FEE-HELP, SA-HELP, OS-HELP or VET Student Loan debt you have.
It’s important to check your CAN carefully. If you notice any errors, you have 14 days to submit a written request for corrections via our online portal.