VET Student Loans
What is a VET Student Loan?
VET Student Loans are an Australian Government scheme and part of the Australian Government's Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), available to eligible students studying approved courses at the Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma level.
The Australian Government VSL Student Manual is designed to assist students to understand VET Student Loans and their rights and responsibilities when accessing VET Student Loans assistance.
Eligibility requirements
Citizenship requirements
- An Australian citizen, or
- A qualifying New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements, or
- A permanent humanitarian visa holder who usually resides in Australia, or
- A Pacific Engagement visa holder who usually resides in Australia
Academic suitability requirements
Students wishing to apply for a VET Student Loan must be assessed for academic suitability to undertake a Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma.
This 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 GOTAFE you will need to satisfy one of the following requirements:
- An Australian Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (year 12 certificate), or
- An International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) diploma, or
- A certificate for a course (taught in English) at Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Level 4 or above
- An overseas qualification assessed by federal, state or territory governments (or their agencies) as equivalent or comparable to AGF level 4 or above.
Applicants without a Year 12 or AQF Level 4 qualification must complete the online Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB) assessment during onboarding to demonstrate Exit Level 3 literacy and numeracy skills. Results are automatically emailed to the student and discussed during the Pre-Training Review. A copy will be retained by GOTAFE for at least 5 years. If unsuccessful, applicants may reattempt after three months once additional support is undertaken.
All applicants will be assessed as academically suited to the course through a Pre-Training Review, a process that seeks to understand whether the course is best suited to the applicant’s aspirations and skills.
For more information refer to the StudyAssist website.
How to apply
To apply for a VSL-approved course at GOTAFE, students must follow the standard application process outlined on the GOTAFE How to apply webpage and meet additional VSL requirements outlined below.
Loan eligibility
Students must:
- Hold a Tax File Number (TFN). Apply via the Australian Taxation Office if required.
- Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).
- Be enrolled in an approved course.
- Submit an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) after a two-day cooling-off period and before the first Census Day.
- Have a FEE-HELP balance greater than zero.
- If under 18, have a parent or guardian sign the DEWR VET Student Loans Parental Consent Form
Students can check their loan eligibility and required supporting documents through the YourCareer eligibility tool.
Application process
1. Onboarding
During onboarding, applicants receive guidance on the VSL process and required documentation. A GOTAFE VSL Request Letter is issued for completion once enrolled.
2. Loan application
- Once enrolled and all eligibility criteria are met, the student is required to submit the VSL Request Letter and citizenship evidence to GOTAFE.
- GOTAFE will notify the Commonwealth Government, after which the student will receive an email with instructions on how to complete the application through the eCAF.
- The eCAF cannot be submitted until 2 days after the date of enrolment, allowing for a “cooling off” period and must be submitted by 11:59pm on or before the first Census Day.
Failure to submit the eCAF by the Census Day will result in liability for fees for that period.
Students meeting course entry but not VSL eligibility (e.g., $0 HELP balance or incomplete citizenship evidence) may still enrol but will be responsible for the total fees.
Please note: Documents collected for the purposes of applications by students for VET Student Loans will be retained for at least 5 years.
Course Fees for VSL-Approved Courses
General course fee information is available on the GOTAFE website.
VET Student Loans cover Tuition Fees only; students are responsible for all other costs, including Materials Fees and Student Services Fees.
Refer to the current VET Student Loans Fee Schedule for further information.
Loan Cap
A loan cap is the maximum amount you can borrow for your course. The loan cap, along with your available HELP balance, will determine how much you can borrow through the VET Student Loan. A loan cap is different to the tuition fee, which is set by GOTAFE. If the tuition fee is greater than the loan cap, you will be required to pay the difference
Courses and Loan Caps
Course Title | 2026 Loan Cap |
AHC51524 Diploma of Viticulture | $19,290 |
CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care | $19,290 |
CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services | $19,290 |
FNS50222 Diploma of Accounting | $12,858 |
HLT54121 Diploma of Nursing | $19,290 |
SHB50121 Diploma of Beauty Therapy | $19,290 |
BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management | $12,858 |
BSB50320 Diploma of Human Resource Management | $12,858 |
11034NAT Diploma of Wine Technology | $19,290 |
Loan Fee
Students not eligible for government-subsidised places (e.g. Victorian Skills First Funded Program) and paying full fee-for-service tuition will incur a 20% loan fee. This fee will be added to the total VET Student Loan debt but does not count towards the HELP balance.
Variation of Fees
Fees are set annually and may change if a course continues into the next calendar year. Students will be advised of any fee changes in advance.
Notifications
GOTAFE will provide several notices throughout your study.
- VET Student Loan Statement of Covered Fees. This notice provides details of the total tuition fees covered by the VSL up to the course loan cap and will be issued after enrolment and before the first census day.
- VET Student Loan Fee Notice. This notice outlines the debt amount for the upcoming fee period and will be issued 14 days before the census day for the relevant unit of study. You will need to withdraw on or before the census day to avoid incurring a VET Student Loan debt.
- Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). This notice is issued within 28 days after each census day, confirming the total HELP debt incurred to date.
Repayment of VET Student Loans
VET Student Loans are income-contingent, meaning you will repay the loan through your income tax when you start earning above the compulsory repayment threshold. Further information is available via the Study Assist website.
Census Days
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 three census dates per full course enrolment.
Each VSL-approved course is divided into at least three equal fee periods, known as units of study. Each unit of study includes several units of competency. The census day, set at approximately 20% into each period, is the key date that determines your financial liability and whether you are continuing in the course.
Census days for GOTAFE VSL-approved courses are published on the GOTAFE website.
Why Census Days Matter
Students incur a VSL debt for a fee period if they remain enrolled past the Census Day.
If a student cancels their enrolment before Census Day, they will not be liable for the loan in that fee period.
If a student cancels their enrolment after Census Day, tuition fees (i.e. VSL debt) are not refunded, except under special circumstances.
GOTAFE issues a VET Student Loan Fee Notice at least 14 days before each Census Day, outlining tuition fees for the upcoming period. These rules also apply to partial withdrawal; students only incur a VSL debt for the units they continue to study.
Withdrawing from a Course or Units
To withdraw from a full course or specific units, students must complete the GOTAFE Course Deferral, Pause or Withdrawal Application Form.
- The form must be submitted on or before the Census Day to avoid incurring a VSL debt. The submission date is recorded as the official withdrawal date.
- For partial withdrawals, the units to be withdrawn from must be clearly listed. Tuition fees for the remaining units will be adjusted based on student contact hours, and the VSL will apply to those units.
- Refunds may be available for materials fees for units not commenced. Student Service Fees are non-refundable.
For more information on the withdrawal procedure, refer to the Defer, Pause and Withdrawal Procedure.
Cancellation of Enrolment by GOTAFE
If GOTAFE has reason to cancel a student’s enrolment, the student will be notified in writing and given 28 days to appeal the decision, in accordance with the GOTAFE Feedback, Complaints and Appeals Management Procedure.
If the cancellation is upheld after all appeals are exhausted, fees incurred for periods past Census Days will not be refunded.
Student Progression Compliance
To continue accessing a VET Student Loan, students will need to fill out a Progression Form. The purpose of the Progression Form is for GOTAFE to confirm the students current study status, and to determine if they still require their VET Student Loan.
Depending on the length of the course and the time taken to complete it, students will need to complete these 2 or 3 times a year throughout their studies.
Students will receive an email from the eCAF system with login details and a link to complete the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) Progression Form. It is essential to complete and submit the form within 14 days from the date you receive the email.
If you don’t complete the Progression Form within 14 days of receiving it:
- Your VET Student Loan may be stopped.
- You may incorrectly incur debt for studies that you are not continuing with.
Re-crediting fees – Special circumstances
You may be able to apply for a special circumstances loan re-credit if your circumstances have made it impractical for you to complete your studies.
Special circumstances are those that:
- Are beyond the student’s control,
- Occurred or worsened on or after the census date, and
- Prevented you from completing your studies.
Students applying for re-crediting of the VET Student Loan must apply in writing to the Executive Director Education within 12 months of the census day for the unit/s. Applications are assessed under the guiding principles outlined in the Fee Help Re-credit and Review Procedure.
Students will be advised of the outcome in writing within 28 days of receipt of the application. The notification will state the reason/s for the decision.
If successful, GOTAFE will re-credit the Commonwealth Government the amount of VET Student Loan paid to GOTAFE for the fee period/s applied for and the VET Student Loan debt will be removed by the Commonwealth Government.
If the application is unsuccessful, students may request a review of the decision through GOTAFE’s Formal Appeal process. If still unsuccessful, they may lodge an appeal with the Administrative Review Tribunal.
The Secretary of the DEWR may be able to consider your special circumstances re-credit application only in circumstances where GOTAFE is closed and unable to act, or has failed to act, and they are satisfied the failure is reasonable. For more information you can contact DEWR via the online enquiry form at Student Enquiries.
Complaints and Grievances
Students may submit complaints about GOTAFE’s processes or management of VET Student Loans at any time. GOTAFE handles all complaints and appeals transparently, fairly, and with respect for student privacy.
GOTAFE will not discriminate against or victimise students for seeking a review, including in matters relating to withdrawal, deferral, or FEE-HELP re-credit requests. Refer to Feedback, Complaints, Compliments on the GOTAFE website for further information.
Tuition Assurance
GOTAFE is required to provide a tuition assurance arrangement to protect students in the event GOTAFE ceases to provide a VET course of study in which a student is enrolled.
In such cases, GOTAFE will promptly inform affected students and assist them in completing a replacement course either at GOTAFE or with another provider.
If another provider ceases a course, GOTAFE may also offer replacement training to impacted students. GOTAFE will make every effort to ensure students transition to a replacement course efficiently and, as far as practicable, act in the best interests of the student.
Details regarding fees, replacement options, and course credit are outlined in the VET Student Loans Statement of Tuition Assurance.