FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP

If you are Australian, when you attend university or another approved institute of higher education, you can get a HECS-HELP or a FEE-HELP loan to pay for your studies.

Does ICMS Offer HECS or FEE Help?

YES. The International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) degrees, as well as diplomas offered by pathway institutions Aspire Institute and ISCA, are approved for FEE-HELP.

Similarities between HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP:

• Neither HECS-HELP nor FEE-HELP loans cover costs like accommodation, laptops or text books.
• Both HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP are for Australian citizens, New Zealand Special Category visa (SCV) holder or permanent humanitarian visa holders who meet the residency requirements.
• For both HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP students must be enrolled in a fee-paying place at a provider that offers these loans.
• Both HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP loans are only offered to students who are enrolled in an eligible course at the census date
• With both types of loans, the amount you repay each year is a percentage of your income.

Differences between HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP:

• You can only get a HECS-HELP loan if you are enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP), whereas whereas FEE-HELP is a loan for eligible domestic fee paying students studying any type of course at an approved provider.
• HECS-HELP is a loan for eligible Commonwealth supported students studying at public universities (and some approved private institutions of higher education), whereas FEE-HELP can be offered to eligible students who study courses where the tuition fees are set by the approved providers.

What is HECS-HELP?

If eligible, HECS-HELP can cover all or part of your tuition fees up to a maximum amount, which is the HECS-HELP loan limit. The amount you repay each year is a percentage of your income. The percentage increases as your income increases, so the more you earn, the higher your repayment will be. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include it on your income tax notice of assessment. It is interest free and indexed only to inflation, and is available to eligible domestic undergraduate students. For more information on HECS-HELP, visit Information on HECS-HELP loans.

It is important to note that you must have a Tax File Number in order to defer your fees to a HELP loan scheme.

What is FEE-HELP?

Like HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP is also a loan available to help local students invest in their career. If eligible, FEE-HELP can cover all or part of your tuition fees up to a maximum amount, which is the FEE-HELP loan limit. The amount you repay each year is a percentage of your income. The percentage increases as your income increases, so the more you earn, the higher your repayment will be. The ATO will calculate your compulsory repayment for the year and include it on your income tax notice of assessment. For more information visit Information on FEE-HELP loans.

It is important to note that you must have a Tax File Number in order to defer your fees to a HELP loan scheme.

How to Apply for FEE-HELP

1. Apply to study at ICMS.
2. Once you have accepted your Offer to study at ICMS, you can apply for FEE-HELP.
3. You will need to obtain a Unique Student Identifier (USI) and a Tax File Number. A USI is a number issued to students by the government. The USI is required to apply for FEE-HELP as well as to obtain your qualification. It’s free and easy to create your USI and once created, you have it for life. Read more on how to create your USI. If you do not currently have a tax file number, we suggest applying for one now as they take time to be issued.
4. You will receive an email from the government with a link to the FEE-HELP form. This form is called an electronic Commonwealth assistance form (eCAF). To complete this form, you will need your USI and a Tax File Number mentioned above.
5. Your eCAF form needs to be completed prior to getting access to your study timetable.
6. Read more about FEE HELP and ICMS Tuition Fees below. 
   • About FEE-HELP
   • FEE-HELP Booklets
   • Census Dates
   • For further information visit www.studyassist.gov.au.

Our team will assist you with any questions along the way.

ICMS Fee Calculator

The exact amount of tuition fees that you will pay depends on the subjects you enrol in and the particular course you’re studying. For each study period, your enrolment is finalised on the census date and you become financially liable for the tuition fees for those subjects in which you are enrolled.

Check the full ICMS fees on the ICMS fee calculator webpage.