You can have both HECS‑HELP and FEE‑HELP in 2026, but not for the same unit. HECS‑HELP and FEE‑HELP are different loans for different enrolment types. This guide explains the rules in plain terms, lists the key numbers to check for 2026, and compares practical examples so you can plan study and repayments.

Key figures summary (quick reference)

- Number of HELP loan types: 6 (HECS‑HELP, FEE‑HELP, SA‑HELP, OS‑HELP, VET Student Loans, HELP for Research).

- Commonwealth supported student contribution bands: 3 (Band 1, Band 2, Band 3).

- Typical student contribution ranges (2026, approximate): Band 1 $3,000 and $6,000 per year; Band 2 $6,000 and $10,000 per year; Band 3 $10,000 and $15,000 per year.

- Private (fee‑paying) course fees: commonly $10,000 to $50,000 per year depending on the provider and course.

- FEE‑HELP balance cap (illustrative in 2026): around $150,000, this cap is indexed and may change periodically.

- Census date window: most study periods have a census date between the end of week 3 and week 8 of the study period.

- HELP repayment rates: income‑contingent, typically range from 1% to 10% of taxable income depending on income brackets.

- HELP debts are indexed each June to CPI; indexation is applied annually on 1 June to outstanding loan balances.

- You can mix loan types across different courses, but not for the same unit, each unit is either CSP (HECS‑HELP eligible) or fee‑paying (FEE‑HELP eligible).

What HECS‑HELP and FEE‑HELP actually are

Thing is, HECS‑HELP covers the student contribution for Commonwealth supported places (CSPs). If you’re in a CSP, the university sets a student contribution for each unit, and HECS‑HELP lets you defer that contribution as a loan from the Commonwealth.

Mastheads

FEE‑HELP is for eligible fee‑paying students, mostly domestic students in full‑fee places at universities and some private higher education providers. FEE‑HELP can cover all or part of tuition fees for eligible units, up to your FEE‑HELP balance cap.

Both loans are interest‑free in the sense they don’t accrue market interest; instead outstanding HELP debt is indexed to CPI each June, so the balance keeps pace with inflation rather than growing like a commercial loan.

Can you have both at once?

Yes, you can hold a HECS‑HELP debt from a CSP and a FEE‑HELP debt from a separate fee‑paying course or provider at the same time. But there are firm limits:

  • Each unit is designated either CSP (HECS‑HELP eligible) or fee‑paying (FEE‑HELP eligible). You can’t use both loans for the same unit.
  • Your total HELP balance on the government record is the sum of all HELP loans, so HECS‑HELP + FEE‑HELP + any other HELP loan types add together for indexation and repayment purposes.
  • FEE‑HELP is subject to a balance cap, around $150,000 in 2026, while HECS‑HELP has no cap but is still subject to indexation and repayment rules.

So: you can be borrowing under both systems at once, for example, a CSP bachelor degree using HECS‑HELP and a separate postgraduate diploma charged as full‑fee using FEE‑HELP. But the administrative rule is simple, one loan per unit.

How the money stacks up, sample numbers

Here are concrete figures to show how a student’s costs and loans might look in 2026.

  • Example CSP band costs (annually): Band 1, $3,000 per year; Band 2, $8,000 per year; Band 3, $13,000 per year.
  • Example private course fees: an undergraduate health course might charge $20,000 per year; a law degree at a private provider could be $40,000 per year; some short vocational higher‑education courses are $10,000 per year.
  • FEE‑HELP cap: $150,000 balance means a student could borrow multiple years of $30,000 fees before hitting the cap (5 years × $30,000 = $150,000).
  • Census date timing: if a semester runs 13 weeks, the census date is often at the end of week 4, miss it and you’re liable for the full HECS or fee amount.
  • Repayments example: HELP repayment rates run from 1% of taxable income at the bottom bracket to around 10% at the top bracket; if the minimum threshold is about $51,000 (example from 2024-25) you start compulsory repayments only when taxable income exceeds that threshold.

Repayment is income‑contingent, the ATO collects HELP repayments through the tax system once your taxable income passes the repayment threshold. Key figures to note:

  • Repayment rate range: typically 1% to 10% of taxable income.
  • Minimum repayment threshold: indexed annually; recent history has put this threshold near $50,000, plan on it moving each financial year (express it as 'around $50,000, $52,000' for 2026 planning).
  • Example: if your taxable income is $80,000 and the repayment rate at that bracket is 5%, your compulsory HELP repayment for the year would be $4,000.
  • Voluntary repayments are accepted, you can make extra payments to reduce your balance; voluntary payments over $5,000 in a year may receive a bonus (the Voluntary HELP repayment bonus changed in recent years, so check current ATO rules before acting).

FEE‑HELP has a lifetime limit on the amount you can borrow for fee‑paying units. Practical points:

  • The illustrative cap of $150,000 means long professional degrees can exhaust your FEE‑HELP limit, a $50,000‑a‑year course for three years would use $150,000.
  • If you exhaust your FEE‑HELP balance you must pay fees up front or arrange other finance for further fee‑paying units.
  • Some providers limit FEE‑HELP eligibility to certain courses or domestic students; international students aren't eligible unless they also hold Australian citizenship or permanent residency and meet provider rules.

Census dates determine when a debt becomes legally binding. A few numbers to keep in mind:

  • Census dates commonly fall between week 3 and week 8 of a study period, for trimester systems expect weeks 3-4; for standard semesters expect week 4.
  • Changing enrolment after census usually means you're still liable for the fee or student contribution for that unit.
  • Some providers offer later census dates for short courses, but that doesn’t change HELP rules about eligibility and caps.

HELP is a federal scheme, so state borders don’t change the basic rules. Still, there are important practical differences:

  • Some private providers and non‑university higher education providers set different tuition levels, for example, a private course in NSW might be $30,000 per year while a similar course at a regional provider in Victoria is $18,000 per year.
  • OS‑HELP (for overseas study) and SA‑HELP (student services and amenities) have their own caps. OS‑HELP payments are limited per mobility period (often around $6,000 to $8,000) and SA‑HELP charges are generally modest (under $300 per year at many universities).
  • VET Student Loans operate under separate loan caps for specific courses, caps can be $20,000, $40,000 or higher depending on the qualification and year.

So what’s likely to change by 2028? Make conservative projections for planning.

  • Indexation: HELP balances will keep being indexed to CPI each June. If CPI sits around 2.5-4% annually, expect balances to grow by similar amounts each year.
  • FEE‑HELP cap: if the illustrative $150,000 cap is indexed at 2-3% per year, it could reach roughly $160,000, $170,000 by 2028. So plan borrowing limits with a buffer.
  • Repayment threshold: the minimum repayment threshold is likely to rise with average wages and inflation, assume annual increases of 2-3% unless there are policy changes.
  • Student contributions: CSP contribution bands tend to rise with indexation and policy, expect band figures (e.g. Band 2 at ~$8,000 in 2026) to move upward a few hundred dollars a year unless frozen by policy.

- Check the FEE‑HELP balance on your Commonwealth HELP record before enrolling in any fee‑paying unit. Know the current cap, around $150,000 in 2026.

- Note census dates for each unit, they’re usually weeks 3-8; missing them usually means you can’t cancel the debt.

- Track the compulsory repayment threshold, recent years have been near $50,000, $52,000; if you expect taxable income above that, factor HELP repayments into your budget.

- Remember indexation happens on 1 June each year. That affects outstanding balances even if you’re not repaying yet.

Related Articles

You can have HECS‑HELP and FEE‑HELP at the same time in 2026, but not for the same unit. The three hard facts to keep in mind are: census dates determine when a debt binds, FEE‑HELP balance limits can stop further borrowing, and the type of place (CSP vs fee‑paying) decides which loan applies. Keep an eye on the FEE‑HELP cap (around $150,000 in 2026), the repayment threshold (roughly $50,000, $52,000 range in recent years), and CPI‑linked indexation each June, those numbers shape when you’ll owe money and how fast the balance moves.

This article was created with AI assistance.