OS-HELP
What is OS-HELP?
Are you eligible for OS-HELP?
What does OS-HELP cover?
How much can you borrow under OS-HELP?
How many OS-HELP loans can you have?
How do you apply for OS-HELP?
OS-HELP loan fee
What is the debt incurral date?
Repaying your OS-HELP loan
What happens if your circumstances change?
Further assistance
What is OS-HELP?
OS-HELP is a loan scheme to assist eligible undergraduate students to undertake some of their Australian course of study overseas. Students may receive one loan per six-month study period for one or two overseas study periods.
OS-HELP is not available to students undertaking their whole course outside Australia.
For more information see the OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions booklet and the OS-HELP support for overseas study brochure on the Publications page.
Are you eligible for OS-HELP?
The following table outlines OS-HELP eligibility requirements. It does not include additional selection criteria that may be set by your provider.
| Eligibility |
Requirements |
| Citizenship |
You must be:
See also:
List of permanent visa sub-classes (17kb) PDF 
List of permanent visa sub-classes (147kb) RTF 
|
| Enrolment conditions |
You must be:
- enrolled in an undergraduate course of study with an Australian higher education provider (home provider) and
- enrolled in full-time study with an overseas higher education institution or the overseas campus of an Australian higher education provider, and be outside Australia while undertaking that study.
|
| Course of study |
You must:
- have already completed units of study to the value of at least 1 EFTSL of your course of study in Australia as a Commonwealth supported student, and
- have the overseas study count towards the course requirements for the course of study you are enrolled in with your home provider, and
- have, on completion of your study outside Australia, units to the value of at least 0.5 EFTSL remaining to complete the requirements of your course of study.
|
| Previous OS-HELP loans |
You must not have:
- received OS-HELP on more than one other occasion
- received another OS-HELP loan for a period that overlaps or coincides with the
six-month period. |
| Request for OS-HELP |
You must:
- notify your provider of your Tax File Number (TFN)
- have read the OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions booklet
- have completed, signed and lodged an OS-HELP debt confirmation form with your provider, and
- have not completed the overseas study before making the application for an OS-HELP loan.
|
| Selection process |
You must be selected by your home provider to receive an OS-HELP loan.
|
More details about the eligibility requirements for OS-HELP are available in the OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions booklet (see Publications page).
What does OS-HELP cover?
OS-HELP can be used for expenses such as airfares, accommodation, and other travel or study expenses.
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How much can you borrow under OS-HELP?
The maximum OS-HELP loan amount for OS-HELP loans with a debt incurral date in:
- 2009 is $5,410.
- 2010 is $5,523.
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How many OS-HELP loans can you have?
Eligible students can receive two OS-HELP loans over their lifetime. Each loan relates to a given six-month period. You can receive OS-HELP for overseas study periods of less than six months but you cannot receive an OS-HELP loan more than once in a given six-month period. Your six-month period is taken to commence on the first day that you commence your overseas study and end six months from this commencement date.
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How do you apply for OS-HELP?
You must apply to your higher education provider for an OS-HELP loan. As each provider runs its own application and selection process, you should contact your provider for information about how to obtain an OS-HELP loan.
You may be required to submit documentation to your provider in order for them to determine that you meet the eligibility criteria. You may also need to specify the amount of OS-HELP assistance you would like to apply for. Your provider may set a minimum loan amount and you cannot receive more than the maximum OS-HELP amount for a given six-month period.
Your provider will contact you about whether your application for OS-HELP has been successful.
You will not receive your OS-HELP loan until you sign and submit the form. You must not sign the form until you have read the
OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions booklet.
See also: the OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions booklet and OS-HELP support for overseas study brochure on the Publications page.
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OS-HELP loan fee
There will be no loan fee on any OS-HELP loans with a debt incurral date on or after 1 January 2010.
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What is the debt incurral date?
The debt incurral date is the day on which your OS-HELP loan is paid to you by your provider. You should check with your provider.
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Repaying your OS-HELP loan
Your OS-HELP debt is added to your accumulated HELP debt and can be repaid through:
- the tax system when your income exceeds the minimum repayment threshold or
- voluntary repayments direct to the Tax Office
See also: Compulsory Loan repayments
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What happens if your circumstances change?
If you are applying for, or are about to receive OS-HELP you should immediately contact your provider if your circumstances change as this may affect your eligibility.
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Further assistance
See: Contacts and feedback for how to obtain further assistance.
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