Vet student loans

 Australian Child Care Career Options (ACCCO) Pty Ltd is an approved provider under the VET Student Loan Scheme, commencing 01 January 2018!

- Provider number 7488

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The VET Student Loans (VSL) program is a Commonwealth Government loan available to help eligible students pay their tuition fees.

For complete information about VSL, also refer to the Department of Education’s website: VET Student Loans Website or contact the HELP Student Enquiry at 1800 020 108, or email VET Student Loans or download the booklet.

What is Vet Student Loans (VSL)

Important information about VSL is summarised below.

VSL is an Australian Government loan program that helps eligible students enrolled in approved higher level vocational education and training (VET) at approved training providers pay their tuition fees. Before applying for a VSL, students need to consider the following facts:

• It is a loan from the Commonwealth
• The loan will remain a personal debt until it is repaid to the Commonwealth
• The loan may, until the debt is repaid, reduce a person’s take home (after tax) wage or salary and may reduce the person’s borrowing capacity.
• The loan must be paid to the Australian Taxation Office when your income reaches a certain level.
• Students should seek independent financial advice before applying for a loan.
• If you are a full fee paying student, a loan fee of 20% will be added to the VSL loan amount.
• Each eligible student has a FEE-HELP limit that can be used over their lifetime. The loan cannot be greater than the student’s remaining FEE HELP balance.
• The approved VET course at ACCCO has a maximum loan (cap) amount of $10,000 that can be used under the VET Student Loans scheme.
• The Commonwealth pays the funds directly to your training provider for your tuition fees. Your Commonwealth Higher Education Support Number (CHESSN) is connected to information about your VSL debt.

The loan is issued by the Australian Government to make higher education more accessible, by removing the burden of upfront tuition fees. Ongoing access to a VET Student Loan is dependent upon the student demonstrating that they are still engaged in and progressing through their qualification.

The VET Student Loans Scheme pays eligible students’ tuition fees, covering up to $10,000* per approved qualification. This means students can focus on their career and repay the Australian Government loan when their income is higher than the minimum repayment threshold. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) calculates and adjusts repayments each year. Students can also make voluntary repayments to the ATO. Best of all, there is no interest charged on VET Student Loans, however a 20% loan fee does apply for full fee paying students.

This Commonwealth Government program allows students to access loans for qualifications that:

• Have a high national priority.
• Meet industry needs.
• Contribute to addressing skills shortages.
• Lead to employment outcomes. 

The loan applies to approved qualifications at a Diploma level or above. The Study Assist website has detailed information about VET Student Loan debts and repayments. Prospective students can also refer to the VET Student Loans Information Booklet for more information.

ACCCO is an approved provider under the VET Student Loan Scheme from the 1st January 2018. Eligible students can only access VET Student Loans for approved qualifications.

VET Student Loans are available for the approved qualification CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care offered through ACCCO.

Who can use VET Student Loans?

Eligibility is determined upon set criteria, determined by the Commonwealth Government. Eligible students may access VET Student Loans to study an approved VSL course at an approved VSL provider. To be eligible for a VSL loan, a person must provide evidence to ACCCO of the following:

• Australian citizenship; or
• Permanent humanitarian visa holder; or
• (resident in Australia for the duration of the unit): or
• New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements.
• Academically suitability, which are:

Further eligibility requirements include:

• Entry requirements of ACCCO during selection
• Not have exceeded the VSL limit
• Be enrolled on or before the first census date of your course (or entry point into the course) by completing an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF)
• Meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
• Have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) or are otherwise exempt.
• Have read the VET Student Loans information booklet.
• Have provided the required documents to ACCCO and submitted the loan application form by the first census day no less than two business days after enrolling.

Academic Suitability

Before a student can access VET Student Loans, ACCCO must also determine if they have the ability to undertake the qualification. To be assessed as academically suitable, students must either:

• provide a Australian Year 12 Certificate, or
• provide evidence of successful completion of an Australian Qualifications Framework Certificate IV or higher qualification (where the language of instruction is English), or
• display competence at Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy through an approved Language, Literacy and Numeracy indicator.

In addition, ACCCO must reasonably believe the student will be able to successfully complete the qualification.  

Please note: VET student loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirement.

Fees and Schedules

The amount a student can borrow on a VET Student Loan cannot exceed their remaining FEE-HELP balance or exceed the loan limit set for each qualification (refer to capped amounts specified below). The amounts which can be borrowed for eligible qualifications offered by ACCCO are :

Qualification	Qualification Cost
CHC50113 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care	$8,400 *capped at $10,000

Census Dates:

Fees for qualifications eligible for VET Student Loans are charged by Units of Study. Payments will be spread across the duration of the qualification. For every Unit of Study in the qualification, there is a Census Date as outlined in the VET Student Loans Schedule.

VET Student Loans will be debited for any tuition fees that remain unpaid after choosing to continue after each census date. If students choose to withdraw from a Unit of Study prior to the Census date, there will be no tuition fee for this unit added to their loan.

Please click on the ACCCO VSL Withdrawal Procedure to read more about the withdrawal process.

>> VSL Withdrawal Procedure <<
>> VSL Application to Withdraw Form <<

Students will be sent an Invoice Notice 14 days before each census day, indicating the fees and census dates. The debt is incurred on the day after the census day. After a census day has passed, ACCCO will also send students a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that Unit of Study. The CAN will provide students with information about the debt, including the loan fee if applicable. If students believe their CAN is incorrect, they should contact ACCCO immediately. 

Students can access the ACCCO Census Dates for study periods via the following link - Study Schedules with census dates.

In summary regarding Census dates, ACCCO will:

• Allow students to withdraw from a Unit of Study on or before the census date and not incur a financial penalty. In the event that a student withdraws after the census date has passed, the student will be liable for the full debt of the unit of study.
• Set a census date for each VET Unit of Study that is no earlier than 20% of the way through the Unit of Study.
• Ensure that students have been informed of census dates for each Unit of Study on or before the earliest enrolment date for the Units of Study.

Repayment of VET Student Loans

VET Student Loans will remain as a personal debt in the student's name until it is repaid to the Commonwealth Government via the Australian Taxation Office. The loan may, until it is repaid, reduce the after-tax wage or salary, and may reduce the student's borrowing capacity. Repaying the Government's loan is required when the income reaches the repayment threshold. The income threshold can be found at  www.studyassist.gov.au. As with any loan, students may wish to seek independent financial advice before they take out a VET Student Loans.

Student Progression and Engagement

From 1 July 2017, to continue to access a VET student loan, students must demonstrate to the Department of Education and Training that they are a genuine student, continuing with their studies. Ongoing access to a VET Student Loans is dependent upon students demonstrating they are still engaged in and progressing through their qualification.

To demonstrate engagement and to continue to receive a loan, students must complete the 'VET Student Loans - Confirming enrolment and continued course engagement and participation' form in the eCAF system at least twice each calendar year - around February, June and October - for the duration of their qualification.

The form asks if students intend to continue studying and accessing a VET student loan, and contains a short survey. This student engagement and progression requirement process is part of the increased protection for students accessing the VET Student Loans program.

• Students will receive an invitation email from an ACCCO representative asking them to complete the Progression Form.
• Students will have 14 days from the date they receive the invitation email to complete the Progression Form.
• If students do not complete it in time, they are to contact ACCCO as soon as practicably possible.

Please note: If students do not confirm their continuing engagement and participation using the Progression Form, they may be ineligible to continue accessing a VET student loan for the rest of their tuition fees.

1. Students are required to read the VET Student Loans information booklet before applying for a VET Student Loan. All students must read this booklet when applying for a VET Student Loan.                                                       
2. Students cannot apply for VET Student Loans until 2 business days after they receive their Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) but they must submit their application on or before the first census day for the qualification.                                                                                 
3. Two business days following the enrolment, ACCCO will advise the Australian Government that the student wishes to apply for VET Student Loans. The Australian Government will email the student log in details and password to access and complete an eCAF (the Australian Government's electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form).

Please see attached eCAF Flow Diagram provided by The Australian Government, detailing the application and progression process for the student.

All students wishing to apply for a Commonwealth VET Student Loans must be assessed for academic suitability to undertake a high level VET qualification. This is aimed at ensuring students have the skills and knowledge to succeed in their qualification.

Academic assessment is in addition to any other entry requirements, or any other additional selection criteria as stipulated in the Student Handbook, or qualification information published on our website.

Students under the age of 18

There are no age restrictions to apply for VET Student Loans. Students under 18 must complete one of the following requirements:

• a parent or guardian must sign the Commonwealth's parental consent form for the loan. This is available on the Commonwealth Department of Education website. Students must provide this form to ACCCO before they can apply for a loan; OR
• if the student is receiving Youth Allowance on the basis that they are independent, they must provide a Centrelink Income Statement noting the independent assessment.

A student's parent or guardian will not be responsible for making loan repayments and it will not affect their credit rating.

Support

If you have any questions or need additional information please visit the links below, or contact VET Student Loans Department of Education and Training HELP Student Enquiry line via email VETStudentLoans@education.gov.au or by phoning 1800 020 108.

• VET Student Loans
• Centrelink
• Australian Tax Office (ATO)
• My Skills – Australia’s training directory
  

Complaints

A new VET Student Loans Ombudsman has been established, and from 1 July 2017 complaints about VET FEE-HELP debts and VET Student Loan debts will be handled by the new VET Student Loans Ombudsman. The VET Student Loans Ombudsman is part of the broader Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office. The Ombudsman is separate from the Department and has its own legal powers to investigate and deal with complaints. More information about the Commonwealth Ombudsman is available at www.ombudsman.gov.au/VSLO.

Please note, the Ombudsman will normally not commence an investigation of a complaint unless the student has first tried to resolve their complaint with their qualification provider. If the student has not done so, the Ombudsman will advise the student to raise their complaint with their provider in the first instance.

Please refer to our Complaints and Appeals Policy available on our website for more information regarding complaints and appeals.