HELP is a cornerstone of Australia’s higher education system. HELP has enabled millions of Australians to gain access to higher education, and to realise the benefits that higher education brings. By allowing students to defer paying their fees until they are earning a reasonable income, HELP facilitates access to university for students regardless of their financial background.
HELP was designed to make it easier to enrol in university and to reduce the influence of students’ financial circumstances in enrolment decisions. UA unreservedly supports the benefits that students, their communities and the broader economy receive as a result of the Australian Government administering HELP and increasing access to university.
The Charges and Cost Recovery Bills introduce:
- a tax on higher education providers to cover ongoing HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP administration costs;
- a fee to cover the application review process to become a FEE-HELP provider.
