Compulsory fees
The Student Loan is made up of three parts. When you apply for a loan, you choose the parts you want to apply for depending on what you need and what you qualify for. The compulsory fees part of a Student Loan lets you borrow the total amount of fees for your course that are charged by your education provider.
On this page:
How much you can borrow for compulsory fees
You can borrow either part or the total amount of your compulsory fees, if you meet eligibility criteria for a Student Loan.
You can pay some of your fees yourself. If you've already paid for all of your fees with your own money, or if someone else has paid your fees on your behalf, you won't be able to use this part of the loan.
If you've partially paid your fees (such as deposit or advance payments), the amount you've paid will be deducted from the amount you can borrow. For example, if your fees are $1,500 and you paid $100 deposit before you applied for the Student Loan, your education provider can only ask for $1,400 for compulsory fees.
There are some situations where you can't borrow the full amount of your fees.
Pilot training students
Pilot training students who start study on or after 1 January 2013 are limited to borrowing up to $35,000 per EFTS from the compulsory fees component of the Student Loan.
The amount of fees that a student can borrow is relative to the EFTS they are enrolled in. This means if a student is enrolled in 0.5 EFTS they will only be able to borrow $17,500 for their compulsory fees.
Existing pilot training students who have been enrolled (but not necessarily accessed the Student Loan Scheme) on a pilot training course at any time between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2012 will continue to have access to their full compulsory fees while they complete their qualification.
How and when payment is made
Your compulsory fees are paid directly to your education provider.The payment will be made two weeks before your course starts or seven days from the date of your first Loan Entitlement Advice (LEA) letter is sent to you -whichever is later. The date and amount of payment will show on your LEA letter.
Remember, you must be fully enrolled in your course for us to be able to pay any part of your Student Loan.
Note: If you think the amount for your compulsory fees is incorrect, contact us straight away.
How to apply
Read the process to find out what happens when you apply for a Student Loan, and when you're ready, apply online and apply early.
What the compulsory fees part of the Student Loan doesn't cover
It doesn't include special charges such as penalty fees for late enrolment, administration charges for paying by instalments or optional service fees such as students' association membership fees.
Students can borrow for students' association membership fees through the course-related costs compenent of the Student Loan Scheme.
What to do if a scholarship has paid your compulsory fees
If a StudyLink Bonded Merit or Step Up Scholarship has paid the compulsory fees part of your Student Loan, you will need to refer to the terms and conditions to find out what that means for you - you will have certain obligations that you will need to fulfill.
