6 schemes 3 still open
Study & Training Support Loans in Australia
HELP covers university, VET Student Loans cover vocational study, and there are separate schemes for apprentices and for students on income support. They are all collected the same way — through your pay — which is what this page explains.
The six loan schemes
| Code | Scheme | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| HELP | Higher Education Loan Program | Assists eligible students with their student contribution or tuition fees from a university or other higher education provider. There are different types of HELP loan depending on the student’s circumstances. |
| VSL | VET Student Loans | An income contingent loan for eligible students studying certain diploma level and above vocational education and training qualifications. VSL is focused on courses that address industry needs. |
| VFH | VET FEE-HELP (closed) | The former VET FEE-HELP scheme ran from 2008 to 2016, with some students accessing it until 2018. Redress measures for people whose provider engaged in inappropriate conduct closed on 31 December 2023. |
| SSL | Student Start-up Loan | A voluntary loan for eligible higher education students who receive Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance. Started on 1 January 2016, replacing the Student Start-up Scholarship. |
| AASL | Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan | Previously called Trade Support Loan (TSL). Offers eligible Australian apprentices loans over a 4 year period, with a 20% discount if the apprenticeship is completed. |
| SFSS | Student Financial Supplement Scheme (closed) | A voluntary loan scheme to help tertiary students cover expenses while studying. It closed on 31 December 2003, but existing SFSS loans are still collected through the tax system. |
How the debt is collected
- You tell your employer. Tick the study or training loan box on the tax file number declaration when you start a job, or on a withholding declaration if you are already being paid.
- They withhold extra PAYG. The extra comes out with your tax — there is no separate bill and no due date to remember.
- You lodge your tax return. Only then is the compulsory repayment calculated, based on your repayment income.
- The repayment is applied to the loan. It lands as a lump sum after lodgement, not pay by pay.
- The balance is indexed. Indexation is applied to whatever balance remains, once a year.
Since the 2025–26 income year you only make a compulsory repayment once your repayment income exceeds the minimum threshold — $69,528 for 2026–27 — and the repayment is calculated only on the portion of your income above it. That is a real change from the old system, where a modest pay rise could raise the rate applied to your whole income.
If you also earn business or investment income
When you pay PAYG instalments, the ATO takes your loan into account when working out your instalment amount or rate. You can vary the instalment amount for your circumstances — worth doing if your income is uneven, so you are not paying instalments on an income you did not earn.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a study or training support loan?
Six schemes have existed, and three of them still take new borrowers: HELP (university), VET Student Loans (vocational diplomas and above), and Student Start-up Loans (for students on Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY). Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans cover apprentices — formerly called Trade Support Loans. The other two, VET FEE-HELP and SFSS, are closed but the debts remain.
Do all of them use the same repayment thresholds?
The ATO administers study and training support loan debts through the tax system on one published scale of repayment thresholds and rates, which is what our HECS / HELP repayment calculator applies. The schemes differ in how you borrow and how much you can borrow, not in how the debt is collected once you are working.
How does the repayment get collected?
You tell your employer you have a loan, using the tax file number declaration when you start a job or a withholding declaration if you are already working. Your employer then withholds an extra amount through PAYG. You do not send money anywhere — and you do not have to remember a due date.
Does my balance go down with each pay?
No. The extra amount withheld is not applied to your loan account until you lodge your tax return and a compulsory repayment is calculated. Your balance sits there (and is indexed) until then, which is why it can look like the withholding is not doing anything.
What if I move overseas?
The debt does not go away. There is a separate overseas repayment obligation with its own thresholds, and you can also apply to defer or amend a compulsory repayment or overseas levy in defined circumstances.
How much is the compulsory repayment on my income?
From the 2025–26 income year you only make a compulsory repayment once your repayment income exceeds the minimum threshold — $69,528 for 2026–27 — and the repayment is calculated only on the portion of your income above it. Use the calculator to see the figure for your income, or the threshold table to see which band you are in.
Go deeper
- HECS / HELP repayment calculator — your repayment and how long the debt lasts
- Repayment thresholds — every band, 2026–27
- Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans — the apprentice loan and the 20% completion discount
- Student Start-up Loans — the voluntary loan for students on income support
- Voluntary repayments — paying extra, and why it is not tax deductible
Loan types and collection rules from Australian Taxation Office, checked 12 October 2026.