SA-HELP
SA-HELP is an Australian Government loan scheme that helps eligible students who do not wish to pay the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) upfront to the university.
Students can request assistance from the Commonwealth and defer the fee through the new Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) known as SA-HELP.
Students eligible for SA-HELP may choose to:
- pay some of the fee up front and receive a SA-HELP loan for the remainder of the fee; or
- receive a SA-HELP loan for the full fee.
SA-HELP loans are included in student's accumulated HELP debts meaning the SA-HELP loan will be added to the student's HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, OS-HELP or VET FEE-HELP loans with the Commonwealth.
You will start repaying your accumulated HELP debt when your income is above the minimum compulsory repayment threshold. The 2011–12 threshold is A$47,196, however is adjusted each year.
Who is eligible for SA-HELP?
To be eligible for SA-HELP a student must;
- be an Australian citizen or a permanent humanitarian visa holder residing in Australia;
- meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
Students not eligible for SA-HELP are required to pay the SSAF by the fee due date. Refer to:
- academic calendars and important dates for payment due dates
- how to pay your fees
Note: Eligible students are able to defer their SSAF to a SA-HELP loan even if they do not wish to take out any other HELP loan.
How to lodge a request for SA-HELP?
Eligible student will be required to complete an electronic Request for SA-HELP Assistance form (eSAF) on or before the fee payment due date for the relevant semester / session, refer to academic calendars for key administrative dates.
The electronic form (eSAF) is only available in USC Central. We will email you reminders to keep you up to date. Please regularly check:
- your USC student emails (at least twice a week)
- that your contact details are up to date in USC Central
- your To Do List in USC Central for the electronic SA-HELP form
- the Student Services and Amentities Fee page
When do students need to lodge their request for SA-HELP form?
A request for a SA-HELP form is to be submitted on or before the fee payment due date for the relevant semester / session; refer to the academic calendars for key administrative dates.
An eligible student who has applied for SA-HELP Assistance will be able to pay all or part of the SSAF to the University by the due date and any balance will be deferred to SA-HELP.
Important: If a SA-HELP form is not lodged by the due date, payment is required by the due date.
SA-HELP Incurral Dates
The incurral date is the date on which your SA-HELP debt is confirmed. Your SA-HELP incurral date will be the USC census date ie; the last day on which you can drop your courses without financial liability.
Important: After the Incurral date no remission of SA-HELP debts are available.
More information
For more information, visit the:
- Student Services and Amenities Fee (SA Fee) webpage
- Useful Links section on this page
- Study Assist website or download the SA-HELP Information for 2012 booklet (PDF 489KB).