What happened to PELS?
Who is a pre-2005 PELS student?
Discontinuing your enrolment
Pre-2005 PELS students: eligible for FEE-HELP?
New form for continuing studies in 2005
Existing PELS debt for previous studies
No special arrangements after 31 December 2008
What happened to PELS?
On 1 January 2005, the Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme (PELS) was replaced by FEE-HELP. Eligible PELS students will be able to access FEE-HELP to pay their tuition fees.
Who is a pre-2005 PELS student?
You are a pre-2005 PELS student if you commenced a postgraduate course of study before 1 January 2005 and you:
- have incurred a PELS debt for that course
- have not discontinued your enrolment
- have not completed the requirements of your course.
Example: Vesna began her postgraduate course of study in 2003, and incurred a PELS debt but then deferred her studies for 2004. She is a pre-2005 PELS student.
You may also be a pre-2005 PELS student if you have incurred a PELS debt for a course different to your current course and have not discontinued your enrolment.
See below: Discontinuing your enrolment
You are not a pre-2005 PELS student if you accepted an offer to commence a postgraduate course of study in 2004 but deferred your studies and did not incur a PELS debt on a census date in 2004. You will commence your studies under the new FEE-HELP arrangements.
For full details on FEE-HELP see: Full Fees & FEE HELP
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Discontinuing your enrolment
You are considered to have discontinued your enrolment if you stop studying and have not taken leave of absence or deferred your studies.
You have not discontinued your enrolment if you have:
- taken a leave of absence from or deferred a course of study with approval from your provider
- transferred your enrolment from one course of study to another course at the same level with the same provider or with another provider
- been admitted to a course of study after completing the requirements of a preliminary or qualifying course, or
- been admitted to a cross-institutional program at a host provider.
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Pre-2005 PELS students: eligible for FEE-HELP?
If you are a pre-2005 PELS student you may use the following table to determine your eligibility for FEE-HELP.
| If you are… |
and you… |
Then… |
- an Australian citizen or
- the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa
|
are enrolled in a postgraduate course of study |
you are eligible for FEE-HELP |
- the holder of a permanent visa (other than permanent humanitarian)
|
are enrolled in a postgraduate course of study; and incurred a debt under PELS for your course. |
you are eligible for FEE-HELP under the PELS eligibility criteria:
- until the end of 2008
- until you complete your current course, or
- until you discontinue your enrolment.
See also: Pre-2005 PELS: information for permanent visa holders
|
a New Zealand citizen who is not also:
- an Australian citizen, or
- the holder of a permanent visa.
|
|
you are not eligible for FEE-HELP.
|
New form for continuing studiesIf you are a pre-2005 PELS student and you continue your studies you must fill out a
Request for FEE-HELP assistance form in order to access FEE-HELP for the remainder of your course. This form is available from your provider. It replaces your original
PELS Loan Request form.
You are required to sign a new form to declare that:
- you commenced your course of study before 1 January 2005 and obtained a PELS loan for part or all of your tuition fees
- you are aware that you will no longer be able to obtain a FEE-HELP loan once you reach the FEE-HELP limit
See: Full Fees & FEE-HELP for the current FEE-HELP limit. Your old PELS debt is not counted towards the FEE-HELP limit.
- you are aware that your personal information will be stored by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) in order to administer your Commonwealth assistance.
You must submit your Request for FEE-HELP assistance form on or before the census date for your unit(s) of study. This form is available from your provider.
If you are a permanent visa holder (other than a permanent humanitarian visa holder) you will
not be eligible for FEE-HELP for any units of study after 31 December 2008.
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