VET Student Loans (VSL)

There are specific criteria students must meet to be eligible for a loan through VET Student Loans.

A student must be:

• an Australian Citizen, or
• hold a permanent humanitarian visa and usually reside in Australia, or
• be a qualifying New Zealand Citizen.

If you have previously accessed FEE-HELP, VET FEE HELP or VET Student Loans at any time, or accessed HECS-HELP after January 2020, you need to have enough HELP balance remaining.

A student must have an Australian Tax File Number (or a certificate from the Commissioner that you have applied for a TFN).

A student must have a Unique Student Identifier (unless you have been granted an exemption from being assigned a USI).  You can apply for a USI at https://www.usi.gov.au/students/get-a-usi

VET student loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirements.

If approved, a VET student loan gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid.

Students must have been assessed as academically suited to undertake a particular approved course.

A student is academically suited when:

• The student has met all CCEB entry requirements for the course (entry requirements can be found on the CCEB website for each course); and
• CCEB reasonably believes the student is academically suited; and
• The student meets one of the following requirements:
  • has completed an Australian Year 12 certificate, or
  • has completed a Certificate IV or above (where the course was taught in English), or
  • has completed an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB), or
  • been assessed as competent at Exit level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy using a VET Student Loans approved testing tool. The student will be required to undertake CCEB’s Language Literacy and Numeracy assessment.

CCEB will ensure that the results of assessing a student’s competence in reading and numeracy will be reported to the student as soon as practicable after the assessment and to the Secretary of the Department of Education in the form, manner and time requested by the Secretary.

The process of accessing competency in reading and numeracy will be conducted with honesty and integrity by CCEB.

CCEB uses LLN Robot to assess competency in reading and numeracy.  This is an approved tool.

CCEB course/ tuition fees are listed on the VET Student Loans Fee Schedule.

Tuition fees outlined in the Fee Schedule are the fees payable for tuition only.  Additional fees and charges are listed in the VET Student Loans Fee Schedule.  Course material fees are additional for each course and must be paid before the course commences.

If you choose to use a VET Student Loan to pay for all or part of your tuition fees, additional entry requirements apply (see Student Eligibility above), and you will be charged a Loan Fee of 20% by the Commonwealth Government.

Eligible students will be entitled for loans up to a capped amount which is set by Government for each qualification.  The VSL Fee Cap for each course is listed on the VET Student Loans Fee Schedule.

Where a student is enrolling in a replacement course they will be granted course credits for parts of the original course successfully completed by the student, as evidenced by a statement of attainment issued in accordance with the Australian Qualification Framework; and will not be charged tuition fees for a replacement component of the replacement course.

The VSL Fee Schedule can be found here: Price list

CCEB provides equal and fair treatment of all students seeking to enrol in an approved course.

Students are required to complete, and submit to CCEB, the VET Student Loans Enrolment form along with all other documentation evidence necessary to meet the entry requirements.  This process is the same for student wishing to enrol in a part of an approved course where the student had earlier withdrawn from a part of the course previously undertaken with CCEB.

To confirm your identity, date of birth and eligibility you will need to provide CCEB with original documentation as evidence.  CCEB will make a copy of this documentation to keep on file.  You will need to provide CCEB with original documents as evidence such as, but not limited to:

• Current Australian passport
• Birth certificate
• Australian citizenship certificate
• Permanent humanitarian visa status documentation
• New Zealand Special Category Visa documentation
• Original certificate of your prior qualification(s)

After CCEB has received all information and required documentation and has deemed you eligible for the course, you will be issued with a VET Student Loans Fee Notice.  This will include a VET Student Loans Statement of Covered Fees – a written statement of whether or not the course enrolment is accepted on the basis that some or all of the tuition fees for the course will be covered by a VSL.

Where a student is enrolling in a replacement course they will be granted course credits for parts of the original course successfully completed by the student, as evidenced by a statement of attainment issued in accordance with the Australian Qualification Framework; and will not be charged tuition fees for a replacement component of the replacement course.

The VSL Enrolment form can be found here: Student Forms

Census days fall on day one of week 2 in each term.  Exact dates can be found listed on the VET Student Loans Fee Schedule.

The census date is the final date a student can cancel their enrolment in a course or part of a course without incurring tuition fees.

If a student withdraws before the census day from a course or part of a course, they will not incur a VET Student Loan debt for the course or part of the course to which the census day applies.  The student’s HELP balance can be re-credited.  If the student has paid tuition fees upfront, CCEB will refund this amount.

If a student withdraws from a course or part of a course after the census day or fails to complete a course or part of a course, and this was due to special circumstances, they may apply for their HELP balance to be re-credited.

CCEB’s VSL Cancellation, Refund and Re-credit Policy and Procedure should be referred to.  Students wishing to apply for a re-credit or refund should submit a completed VSL Request for Re-credit/ Refund form.

The Secretary may re-credit a student’s FEE-HELP balance in relation to special circumstances if a course provider:
1. is unable to act or is being wound up or has been dissolved; or
2. has failed to act and the Secretary is satisfied that the failure is unreasonable.

If a student withdraws from a course or part of a course, CCEB will not re-enrol that student without the written permission of the student.

CCEB will not victimise or discriminate against any student for seeking review or reconsideration of a decision, using the grievance procedures or making an application for re-crediting their HELP balance.

The VSL Cancellation, Refund and Re-credit Policy can be found here: Policies and Procedures.
The VSL Request for Re-credit/ Refund form can be found here: Student Forms

CCEB has a complaints and appeals policy and procedure in place to deal with grievances.  These documents can be found on the Policies and Procedures page on the website.

CCEB has a privacy policy in place to deal with the handling of information.  This document can be found on the Policies and Procedures page on the website.

Tuition assurance provides support and protections for VSL students in the event that their private education provider defaults.

If a course of study ceases to be offered by CCEB, we will assist affected student to continue their studies with a suitable replacement provider.  Where there is no suitable replacement course, eligible students will be provided with a re-credit to their HELP balance.  This re-credit will be for tuition fees paid for the original course or parts of the course not completed due to the default.

If CCEB defaults, CCEB will give written notice to the VSL Tuition Protection Director and any students affected, within 24 hours of the default.