Information for students with a HECS, PELS, OLDPS, or BOTPLS debt incurred before 2005
Information for students who have incurred a HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, or OS-HELP debt
No compulsory repayment because of low family income
Information for students with a HECS, PELS, OLDPS, or BOTPLS debt incurred before 2005
Before 1 January 2005, any debts you incurred under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS), the Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme (PELS), the Open Learning Deferred Payment Scheme (OLDPS) and the Bridging for Overseas-Trained Professionals Loan Scheme (BOTPLS) were added together and collected as one debt, called an accumulated HECS debt.
This debt became an accumulated HELP debt on 1 June 2006.
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Information for students who have incurred a HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP or OS-HELP debt
On 1 June 2008, any HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP or OS-HELP debts incurred in 2007 become part of your “accumulated HELP debt”. Your accumulated HELP debt includes any HECS, PELS, OLDPS or BOTPLS debts you incurred before 2005 (see above), and any HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP or OS-HELP debts you have incurred since 1 January 2005.
You do not have to begin repaying your accumulated HELP debt until your repayment income is above the minimum repayment threshold, which is is $38,148 in the 2006–07 income year. Your repayment income is made up of the following amounts from your tax return for the income year6 :
- your taxable income; plus
- any amount your taxable income was reduced by a net rental loss; plus
- any total reportable fringe benefits amounts; plus
- any exempt foreign employment income amount.
For further information regarding your repayment income, contact the Tax Office (see Tax Office).
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No compulsory repayment because of low family income
If you have a spouse or dependants and if, due to low family income, you are entitled to a reduction of Medicare levy or you do not have to pay the Medicare levy, you will not have to make a compulsory repayment for that year. For further information, contact the Tax Office (see Tax Office).
6Income year refers to the financial year, not calendar year.
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