A VET Student Loan is an income-contingent loan from the Australian Government. It is designed to assist eligible students studying approved diploma-level and above vocational courses with an approved provider. A VET Student Loan is a personal debt that remains with you until it is repaid to the Commonwealth through the tax system. It may also affect your borrowing capacity, so students should read the government information carefully and consider seeking independent financial advice before applying.
Important Things to Know
- A VET Student Loan helps cover tuition fees only. It does not cover incidental or non-tuition costs.
- A VET Student Loan may not cover your full tuition fee if your course fee is above the government loan cap, or if you do not have enough remaining HELP balance.
- Most students accessing a VET Student Loan for a full fee-paying course will incur a 20% loan fee. This loan fee does not count towards your HELP balance, but it does form part of your total VET Student Loan debt.
- VET Student Loans are indexed annually.
Who may be eligible?
To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, you must meet the Australian Government’s requirements. In general, you must:
- be enrolled in an approved course
- be studying with an approved VET Student Loan provider
- be studying your course primarily in Australia
- meet the citizenship or residency requirements
- be academically suitable for study at diploma level or above
- have an available HELP balance of more than $0
- have a valid Tax File Number
- have a Unique Student Identifier (USI).
You must be one of the following:
- an Australian citizen, or
- the holder of an eligible permanent humanitarian visa who usually resides in Australia, or
- a qualifying New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements set by the government.
Other permanent visa holders and temporary visa holders are not eligible for a VET Student Loan.
To access a VET Student Loan, you must also demonstrate academic suitability. This is usually done by providing one of the following:
- an Australian Year 12 certificate
- evidence of an AQF qualification at Certificate IV level or above
- evidence of an approved assessed overseas qualification
- or, if needed, completing an approved literacy and numeracy assessment at the required level.
If an LLN assessment is required, Tov Academy can assist you through that process.
Your VET Student Loan is also subject to your available HELP balance.
For 2026, the HELP loan limit for most students is $129,883. Your available HELP balance is reduced by any VET Student Loan or HELP borrowing you have used, and increased by eligible repayments applied through the ATO from 1 July 2019 onwards.
VET Student Loans are only available for approved courses.
At Tov Academy, VET Student Loan availability applies only to courses that are approved by the Australian Government for VSL and offered by Tov Academy as an approved provider.
Approved Courses offered by Tov Academy:
- Diploma of Counselling
- Advanced Diploma of Integrative Practice
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling
A VET Student Loan is an agreement between you and the Commonwealth Government. It is separate from your enrolment with Tov Academy.
To apply, you must:
- meet all VET Student Loan eligibility requirements
- enrol in an approved course with Tov Academy
- wait the required two business days after enrolment before completing your eCAF
- complete and submit your electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) before the relevant census day
- provide all required supporting documentation, including your TFN and any academic evidence requested.
You should also read the official Australian Government VET Student Loan information before completing your application.
Button: Read Government VET Student Loan Information
Under 18?
Students under 18 can still apply for a VET Student Loan, but they must meet one of the following requirements:
- provide the Commonwealth parental consent form signed by a parent or guardian, or
- provide evidence from Centrelink showing they are assessed as independent for Youth Allowance purposes.
Your parent or guardian is not responsible for repaying your loan, and their credit rating is not affected.
Census Dates and Fee Periods
Tuition fees for VET Student Loans are charged across sequential fee periods, and each fee period has at least one census day. If you withdraw on or before the relevant census day using Tov Academy’s withdrawal process, you will not incur a VET Student Loan debt for that part of the course, and you should receive a refund for any tuition fees already paid for that part.
You will receive a VET Student Loan Fee Notice before each census day, and a Commonwealth Assistance Notice after census day showing the debt recorded for that unit or part of the course.
Ongoing Progression Requirements
To continue accessing a VET Student Loan, you must complete government progression and engagement requirements during your studies.
You will receive a Progression Form by email through the eCAF system. Depending on the length of your course and your pace of study, you will usually need to complete this 2 or 3 times a year. If you do not complete the form within the required timeframe, your access to a VET Student Loan may stop.
If you withdraw, defer, or finish your course, you must first follow Tov Academy’s procedures and then complete the Progression Form as required.
Repaying Your Loan
You repay your VET Student Loan through the tax system when your income reaches the compulsory repayment threshold.
For the 2025–26 income year, the compulsory repayment threshold is $67,000.
A VET Student Loan is a real debt and may affect your take-home pay and future borrowing capacity until repaid.
Need Support?
If you need support during your studies or are unsure where to begin, our team can help point you in the right direction.
info@tov.org.au │ 1300 721 397
