Combined HELP loan limit

From 1 January 2020, there will be a combined HELP loan limit introduced. The combined HELP loan limit is a cap on what you can borrow from the Australian Government to cover the costs of your tuition fees. The HELP loan limit will increase annually inline with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2021 the HELP loan limit will be $108,232 for most students. The limit for students studying medicine and (subject to passage of legislation) some aviation courses will be $155,448.

Renewable HELP balance

From 1 January 2020, you can top up your HELP loan balance by making repayments on your debt. You cannot increase your HELP loan limit, however any repayments you make on your HELP debt will credit your available HELP balance, up to your applicable HELP loan limit.

What will be included in my combined HELP loan limit?

  • Any existing and new FEE-HELP borrowed.
  • Any new HECS-HELP (where the census date is after 1 Jan 2020)

HECS-HELP accumulated prior to 1 Jan 2020, SA-HELP and OS-HELP will not be included in the new combined HELP loan limit, however, they will continue to remain as part of the overall HELP debt.

Got a question?

How do I check my Balance?

If you would like to check your HELP balance you will need to know your Commonwealth Higher Education Support Number (CHESSN) which you can obtain from any Commonwealth Assistance Notice.

You can use your CHESSN to log in to myHELPbalance and monitor your usage.

If you don’t have enough HELP balance remaining for your studies, you will be required to pay your fees upfront each enrolment period.