FEE HELP / VET FEE-HELP

Qantm College is a Higher Education Provider (HEP) and is FEE-HELP approved. This means that eligible students who undertake studies in a Qantm undergraduate degree can access the Australian Government FEE-HELP loan scheme.

Information relating to FEE-HELP reproduced below was obtained from the Australian Government's www.goingtouni.gov.au web site. Please visit this web site to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information.

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme offered by the Australian government to assist eligible fee-paying undergraduate or postgraduate students to pay part of or all of their tuition fees up to a maximum of approximately $80,000 over their lifetime. This amount is indexed each year (in line with the Consumer Price Index), and is subject to change.

A loan fee of 20% is applied by the Commonwealth to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study. The FEE-HELP limit does not include the loan fee. Students can choose to defer all or part of the cost of the fee-paying course and pay their debt back through the taxation system. Compulsory repayments commence once taxable income reaches a threshold amount. Voluntary repayments can be made at any time.

FEE-HELP debts do not incur interest; however an index amount is applied (in line with the Consumer Price Index) to the outstanding debt that has remained unpaid for 11 months or more.

Please see the www.goingtouni.gov.au web site to determine your eligibility for FEE-HELP assistance. If you are not eligible for FEE-HELP, you will be invoiced as a full fee-paying student and will be responsible for maintaining your account in accordance with Qantm's policies and procedures.

According to current information, you may be entitled to FEE-HELP assistance if you:

• are undertaking a higher education course at an approved higher education provider or Open Universities Australia
• meet the citizenship or residency requirements;
• are enrolled in an eligible unit of study on or before the census date for the unit and remain registered for the unit at the end of the census date;
• are not Commonwealth supported in relation to that unit;
• meet the tax file number (TFN) requirements
• have completed, signed and submitted a valid Request for FEE-HELP assistance form for the unit of study or the course of study of which the unit forms a part, on or before the census date and have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.

If you determine that you are eligible for FEE-HELP assistance, you should obtain a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form from the Qantm Student Administration Department. You must complete and sign the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form and return it to Student Administration on or before the closing date for each Trimester.

When submitting a 'Request for FEE-HELP Assistance' form, please include your Tax File Number and attach a certified copy of one of the following forms for identification:

• Australian Passport;
• Australian Birth certificate;
• Australian Citizenship certificate;
  or
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

To obtain a Tax File Number (TFN), you will need to complete a Tax File Number application or enquiry for an individual form available from the Tax Office website at www.ato.gov.au. If you do not have a TFN allocated to you prior to the closing date, you should obtain a Certificate of application for a tax file number from a Tax Office shopfront and provide to Student Administration as evidence that you have applied for a TFN. Failure to supply a TFN or Certificate of application for a tax file number by the closing date will mean that you will not be able to apply for FEE-HELP.

In order to provide proof of citizenship or residency, you will need to have your documentation certified by a Justice of the Peace. Following is a website which will assist you to locate a JP in your local community: http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/79.htm.

Qantm is now VET FEE-HELP approved! This means that eligible students who undertake studies in a Qantm Diploma can access the Australian Government VET FEE-HELP loan scheme.

VET FEE-HELP assists eligible students undertaking approved VET courses to pay for all or part of their tuition costs.

Students repay the loan to the Australian Government through the tax system once a student reaches the minimum income threshold level for repayment, which for 2009-10 is $43,150.
Useful information: Tuition Assurance commitments for VET FEEHELP students.

An eligible student (for the purpose of VET FEE-HELP):

• is an Australian citizen or permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit of study in which they are seeking VET FEE-HELP assistance;
• is a full fee-paying student enrolled on or before the census date in an eligible unit of study through an approved VET provider and remains enrolled in the unit at the end of the census date;
• meets the tax file number requirements;
• has completed, signed and submitted a valid request for VET FEE-HELP assistance form for the unit or the course of which the unit forms a part, on or before the census date;
  and
• has not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.

For more information on VET FEE-HELP please visit http://www.deewr.gov.au/vetfeehelp

Students must read the VET FEE-HELP student information booklet before they sign and submit the Request for a VET FEE-HELP assistance form. By signing the form a student is declaring they have read the booklet and are aware of their obligations under VET FEE-HELP.

Please note the VET FEE-HELP assistance form is to be completed by hand (it contains a carbon copy).

Once you have read through the VET FEE-HELP student information booklet please contact us on 07 3017 4333 or enquiries@qantm.com.au to request a form to be posted to you.

Students who are seeking FEE-HELP assistance must complete, sign and submit their Request for FEE-HELP assistance form to Student Administration by the first day of each Trimester for which they wish to claim FEE-HELP assistance.

Students who do not submit a Request for FEE-HELP assistance form by the first day of each Trimester, will be invoiced for tuition fees as full fee-paying students.

The census date is the last day you can withdraw from a unit without incurring any financial or academic penalty for that unit of study being undertaken. The census date is usually set at 20% of the study period for each Trimester and will be published in advance. The census dates are outlined in the Schedule of Unit Fees document available on the Qantm College website.

For further details refer to the Qantm College Fees and Refunds - Degree (FEE-HELP) Policy published on the Qantm College website.

Students who have completed and submitted the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form and then withdraw before the census date will not incur a FEE-HELP debt for that unit/s. If you do not formally withdraw from a unit on or before the census date and you have applied for FEE-HELP, you will incur a debt with the Commonwealth for the unpaid portion of your tuition fee. Non-completion of studies does not normally entitle a student to any refund.

Further information on FEE-HELP may be obtained from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR):

• Going to Uni web site: www.goingtouni.gov.au
• Enquiry line: 1800 020 108

Further information about your debt and repayments may be obtained from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO):

• ATO web site: www.ato.gov.au
• ATO Information line: 13 28 61
• A fax from Tax: 13 28 60
• Email: hecs@ato.gov.au
• Obtain an assessment statement from a relevant assessing body;
  and
• Higher Education Loan Accounts (HELA) Unit for specific queries on your FEE-HELP account: 1300 650 225