FEE-HELP & Fees

What is FEE-HELP

FEE-HELP is an Australian government loan scheme for Australian students, which is available for Diploma programs only.

Deakin College, as a recognised Higher Education Provider (HEP), allows eligible students the opportunity to access the FEE-HELP loan scheme, which can cover all or part of your tuition fees, up to a lifetime limit of $121,844 (2024) . (You can elect to pay a portion of fees directly to Deakin College, and the remaining debt will be registered as a loan through the Australian Taxation Office).

The FEE-HELP limit is indexed annually (as measured by the CPI index). A loan fee of 20% applies to FEE-HELP loans. Indexation and the loan fee do not count towards your FEE-HELP limit.

The Government pays the amount of the loan directly to Deakin College.

Visit the Australian Government’s FEE-HELP website for more information.

Who is entitled to FEE-HELP?

To be entitled, you must be:

• an Australian citizen: or
• be a New Zealand Special Category visa (SCV) holder or permanent humanitarian visa holder and meet the residency requirements.

When do loans need to be repaid?

You will commence repaying any FEE-HELP loan through the Australian Taxation Office once your income reaches the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment ($54,435 per annum 2024-2025).

How does FEE-HELP assist students in paying tuition fees?

Deakin College sets the tuition fees for units of study. If you are eligible for FEE-HELP, you may choose to pay your tuition fee in three ways:

• pay the full tuition fee up-front to Deakin College;
• pay some of the tuition fee up-front and request a FEE-HELP loan for the remainder of the tuition fee; or
• request a FEE-HELP loan for the full tuition fee.

How to apply for FEE-HELP

If you wish to apply, please advise the Deakin College Admissions Team via email dcoll-admissions@deakin.edu.au.

Eligible students who fail to pay their tuition fees in full or who do not apply for FEE-HELP (and provide a tax file number) will be at risk of having their enrolment invalidated.

Census dates

The census date is at the end of the fourth week of each trimester.

View census dates.

What happens next?

Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN)

Within 28 days of the census date, Deakin College will provide students with a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN). This will be forwarded to their Deakin College student portal account. The notice will provide students with information on the unit(s) for which they have received FEE-HELP assistance and their FEE-HELP debt, including any loan fee amount they may have incurred for those units.

If students believe the notice to be incorrect they should contact the Deakin College FEE-HELP Officer (in writing) within 14 days of the date of their Commonwealth Assistance Notice. Disputes not lodged within 14 days will not be considered.

Failure to dispute an incorrect Commonwealth Assistance Notice results in this fee liability being reported to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN)

The CAN notice will provide students with their Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN). Students CHESSN is unique and will enable them to access information on their FEE-HELP balance via the myGov website.

How do you withdraw your enrolment in unit(s) of study?

To withdraw from a unit(s) of study a students may make changes to their original enrolment/unit selection on-line through the Deakin College student portal. After on-line enrolment is closed, students who want to make an enrolment change will be required to complete the appropriate ‘Enrolment Variation’ form and submit to Deakin College reception on or before the census date.

What happens if you withdraw on or before the census date?

Students who correctly withdraw from any unit on or before the census date will not incur a FEE-HELP debt for that unit.

What happens if you withdraw after the census date?

Students who have requested FEE-HELP assistance and withdraw after the census date, will have a debt with the Commonwealth that they are legally required to repay. Students cannot withdraw after the census date without incurring a FEE-HELP debt.

If however, after the census date, students become seriously ill or other special circumstances occur and they are unable to continue their studies, then they can apply to Deakin College to have their FEE-HELP balance re-credited and their debt removed. Note that there are time limits for applying. Complete the Application for Re-Crediting and Remission of FEE-HELP Debt form online.

Where can you obtain more information?

Students interested in FEE-HELP should read the ‘FEE-HELP Information Booklet’ and visit the Study Assist website.

Student complaints

Deakin College has a complaints policy and procedure, both in relation to prospective students and enrolled students on academic and non-academic matters. Students should also be familiar with Deakin College’s enrolment, fees and charges policy and procedures.

View Deakin College’s Policies and Procedures.

Pay via our online payment portal  – Flywire

Deakin College accepts various payment options through our official payment partner – Flywire.

Flywire became our payment partner in December 2023.  Invoices and Letters of Offer sent to you prior to this date may have included different payment information.

Flywire allows you to: 

• Execute, track and confirm your payment online in a secure portal
• Use familiar payment options from your home country, in 140+ currencies
• Access a 24/7 multilingual customer support team for assistance
• Save on bank fees and ensure the best exchange rates with Flywire’s best price guarantee.

How to make a payment to Deakin College  using Flywire

Current students:

1. Visit your Deakin College student portal to begin your payment.
2. Go to the payment/fees section of your student portal.
3. Select the country from where you are paying and your preferred payment method.
4. Enter your payment details and confirm your payment booking.
5. Receive instructions on how to complete the payment process, depending on your payment method.
6. Once payment is made you will have access to real-time payment tracking through email, in-app and text alerts.

Future students:

1. Visit your StudyLink Connect Account
2. Select Flywire as the payment method and you will be redirected to Flywire to complete your payment
3. Enter your payment details and confirm your payment booking, receive instructions on how to
   complete the payment process, depending on your payment method
4. Once payment is made you will have access to real-time payment tracking through email, in-app and text alerts
5. Once funds are received, Flywire will pass the payment to Deakin College and send you a confirmation of payment.

To learn more about Flywire, visit the Flywire website.

Need help?

Visit Flywire FAQ page for guidance on frequently asked questions. Alternatively, please email support@flywire.com or call +61 2 8311 4772  Monday–Friday, 8.30 am – 5.00 pm AEST.