FEEHELP (Higher Education Loan Program)

Students in any Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) course who are Australian citizens, or hold a permanent humanitarian visa, can now have their tuition fees met by a loan from the Commonwealth Government. The scheme – brought in under the Higher Education Support Act (2003) – is called the Higher Education Loan Program: FEE-HELP for short.

To apply for a FEE-HELP loan, you must fill in the Government form and send it to the MCD office by March 12, 2010 (or August 13, 2010 for second semester new applications). Forms and FEE-HELP Information 2010 are available from the Whitley College office or from the MCD office. Your fees will be paid to the MCD by the Commonwealth, and Whitley College will receive payment for your classes and library use.

Before you apply for a loan, please note the following requirements:

a)      The Government requires that, before you sign the FEE-HELP form, you must read the FEE-HELP information 2010 booklet so that you are aware of your obligations under the scheme. If you participate in FEE-HELP, your details will be listed in DEEWR’s Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS), and you will receive a Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN), which remains unique to you for life.

b)      For undergraduate courses (BTheol, AdvDipMin, DipMin, AssocDipMin) the Government adds a 20% loan fee: a unit costing $888 will thus incur a tax liability of $1,065.60. For graduate and postgraduate courses (GradCert, GradDips, Masters, Doctorates) no further charge applies.

c)      You must provide your Tax File Number in order to apply for a FEE-HELP loan (see further below).

(d) Your loan is repaid through the tax system. When your income reaches $43,151 (the 2009/10 figure) you pay a proportion back with your tax. The higher your income, the higher the repayment proportion, starting at 4%. Voluntary early repayments over $500 receive a discount of 10%. Your FEE-HELP tax liability goes up by CPI on June 1^st each year, but in ‘real dollar’ terms does not increase. If someone with a FEE-HELP debt dies, only the repayment due in that tax year is billed: the rest is cancelled.

The administration at the MCD and Whitley offices take your right to privacy seriously and only use information you provide for the purpose for which it was given.

For further information:

·       Read the FEE-HELP information 2010 booklet

·       Visit the Going to Uni website at:

www.goingtouni.gov.au