VET Student Loans (VSL) Program
What is the VET Student Loans program?
The VET Student Loans program is an Australian Government loan program that helps eligible students pay tuition fees for approved courses at diploma level or above, at approved course providers.
The amount you can borrow for your tuition fees is determined by the Australian Government, this information is updated annually and can be found on their VET Student Loans website. Your individual loan amount also depends on your current HELP loan balance, which can be checked on the My Help Balance website. A VET Student Loan is only for tuition fees and does not cover additional costs such as textbooks, materials, or accommodation.
Information on VET student loans from the Commonwealth includes the following:
- VET Student Loans Information Booklet
- VSL Student Obligations
- eCAF Fact Sheet
- Student Progression Fact Sheet
The Australian Institute of Management Education and Training Institute is an Approved VSL provider and has approved courses.
Key Facts
- If you are an eligible student, the department may approve your VET Student Loan for an approved course.
- The department will pay your loan directly to your approved course provider.
- You will be responsible for any gap amount in the tuition fees, which are not covered by the loan.
- You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Am I Eligible?
To receive a VET Student Loan, you must:
- be an eligible student.
- be studying an approved course.
- be studying with an approved course provider.
- apply to the government using the approved form, which will be managed through your provider, and
- submit Progression Forms to confirm your ongoing engagement with your studies and continue accessing the loan throughout your course.
Eligibility Criteria
To be an eligible student, you must meet ALL of these criteria:
- You are:
- an Australian citizen or
- a qualifying New Zealand citizen or
- a permanent humanitarian visa holder, who is usually resident in Australia.
- Your HELP balance (the amount of your HELP loan limit you have left) is more than $0. This means you have enough HELP loan limit remaining for your proposed studies to be covered by the loan. The HELP loan limit is the limit on how much you can borrow.
- You are enrolled with an approved course provider in an approved course and have enrolled in accordance with the application requirements.
- You are studying the approved course primarily at a campus in Australia.
- You have been assessed by your approved course provider as academically suited to undertake the approved course. (Refer to AIM entry requirements for more information) and can show competence in completing the course.
- You meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements.
- You have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) or are otherwise exempt.
- You have given the required documents to your approved course provider and submitted the loan application form by the first census day no less than two business days after enrolling.
What is an Approved Course?
An approved course is:
- specified by the VET Student Loans (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination 2016 and
- for full fee-paying / fee for service students, lead to a qualification of diploma, advanced diploma, graduate certificate, or graduate diploma in the Australian Qualifications Framework and
- for state-government subsidised students, lead to a qualification of diploma or advanced diploma in the Australian Qualifications Framework or
- provided by an approved course provider and
- delivered by an approved course provider or an entity registered with TEQSA, or a body approved by the department to deliver the course.
We are not taking enrolments at the moment in our VSL-approved courses.
For More Information and Details, refer to:
- AIM VSL FAQs
- AIM VSL How to Apply
- AIM Policies and Procedures
- VET Student Loans 2023 Course List and Loan Caps (for students)
- VET Student Loans Course Caps Indexed Amounts (for students)
- Tax File Number (TFN) Fact Sheet
AIM VET Student Loan Information
This information along with the AIM Policies and Procedures and AIM’s Student Handbook will provide you with information on AIM processes and procedures relating to student entry, applying and enrolling, fees, re-crediting HELP balances, handling of information, academic suitability, census days and important notices, eCAFs, withdrawal from courses, cancellation of enrolment, student complaints, and VET Student Loan considerations.
AIM has policies and procedures and a Student Handbook to support all students studying with AIM. This includes information related to:
- Rights and responsibilities
- Grievance procedures for academic and non-academic matters
- Withdrawals, deferrals and refunds
- Tuition assurance
- Personal information
AIM Statement of Tuition Assurance
As an approved VET Student Loan (VSL) provider, under the VET Student Loans Act 2016 and VET Student Loans Rules 2016, the Australian Institute of Management Education and Training Pty Ltd (AIM) RTO 0049, ABN: 40 009 668 553, must meet the tuition assurance requirements as required by the Department of Education.
AIM VSL student tuition fees are protected through the Australian Government’s Tuition Protection Service (TPS). Tuition assurance protects students in the event a course of study provided by an approved education provider ceases to be provided after it starts but before it is completed.
AIM VSL students should refer to the AIM VSL Tuition Protection Policy and Procedure, available on the AIM website.
Tuition Protection Service
The Tuition Protection Service (TPS) is an initiative of the Australian Government to assist international students and eligible domestic students accessing a VET Student Loan (VSL), FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP (HELP) loan, whose education providers are unable to fully deliver their course of study. The TPS ensures that these students are able to either:
- complete their studies in another course or with another education provider or
- receive a refund of their unspent tuition fees (international students) or a re-credit of their loan for open units of study (VSL and HELP).
The TPS can be contacted at: administrator@tps.gov.au or phone 1300 980 434.
For further information on tuition assurance by TPS please refer to: https://tps.gov.au/Vet
