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VET Student Information

Higher Education Student Guide 2006

2006 HESA Unit Fees

Uniprint Express

CDU enews

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Student Guide 2008

Fees and payments

After enrolling (and after fees have been assessed) you will receive an enrolment and fee advice (an official printout of your enrolment). Check your enrolment advice thoroughly. It is your responsibility to make sure all personal details are correct and that your course title and the units you are studying have been entered correctly.

All fees are due on the census date of the relevant semester or term of the unit you are studying, regardless of when the unit begins. You can make payment in person at any campus or centre, via BPay, credit card or cheque. Details about payment options are listed in methods of payment.

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HESA information

The information in the HESA section is consistent with the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA). However, changes may be made to any provisions at any time with the consent of both Houses of Parliament.

All students are encouraged to:

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Student contribution ranges

What has been known as HECS places are now called Commonwealth supported places. Higher education providers determine student contribution (or HECS) amounts for these places, within ranges set by the Australian Government.

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Student Learning Entitlement

The Australian Government has introduced the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). The SLE gives all Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa access to a Commonwealth supported place for seven years of equivalent full-time study.

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Eligibility for loans and discounts

The deferred payment arrangements and discount for up-front payments that existed under HECS until the end of 2004 still exist but are now called HECS-HELP assistance. Australian citizens and holders of a permanent humanitarian visa are eligible for HECS-HELP.

The discount for full, up-front payments or up-front payments of $500 or more has changed from 25 per cent to 20 per cent to provide more funds to support students who are not able to pay their fees up-front, while continuing to provide an incentive for students who are able to pay up-front.

As a pre 2005 student, most of the changes outlined below will apply to you. That is, you will:

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HECS debts

From 1 June 2006, if you have an accumulated HECS debt, it will become known as an accumulated HELP debt. Any HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP debts you incur from 1 January 2005 will be added together with your HECS debt to become one accumulated HELP debt on 1 June 2006.

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Bonus for voluntary repayments

The bonus for voluntary repayments of a HECS or HELP debt changed from 15 per cent to 10 per cent from 1 January 2005 to provide more funds to support students who are not able to pay their fees up-front, while continuing to provide an incentive for students to repay their debts early. Bankruptcy rules from 1 January 2005, HELP debts and accumulated HELP debts are not provable under the Bankruptcy Act 1966. A student will have to pay them as if he or she has not been declared bankrupt. HECS debt of a student will remain provable until it becomes part of his or her accumulated HELP debt on 1 June 2006.

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Tax File Number (TFN)

A student wishing to defer all or part of the fees to tax does need to supply a Tax File Number (TFN). Also, TFN is necessary if a student wants to authorise the University to defer all or part of the HECS contribution to tax in case a student has chosen the up-front payment option but fails to make a payment by the census date.

It is a requirement under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 that the enrolment be cancelled after the relevant census date if a student does not provide personal TFN where required.

If a student cannot provide TFN he/she should immediately contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to either obtain a TFN or a certificate from the ATO to indicate that the student has applied for a TFN.

This certificate from the ATO can be submitted with the enrolment as an interim measure while the application for a TFN is being processed.

Note: The ATO may take up to six weeks to allocate a new TFN.

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CHESSN

The Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) is a unique identifier that universities must use as of 2005 in communications with the Australian Government concerning a student who:

The CHESSN will remain linked to the student for the remainder of his/her academic life.

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What is the CHESSN used for?

The CHESSN is used to manage the:

The CHESSN is limited in its use to monitoring Commonwealth assistance to HE students, including the provision of data to the ATO.

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How and when will I be notified about my CHESSN?

The CHESSN will be notified to students in the Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN), issued no later than within 28 days of the census date for relevant units.

The CHESSN will not be quoted on any other correspondence to students, e.g. fees and enrolment advices or offer letters or any written correspondence on student matters.

Students who withdraw from all units before their first census date will not be issued with a CAN, hence will not receive notification of their CHESSN. CHESSN remains unconfirmed until the first time a student’s enrolment load and fees are reported to DEST, and the University will ensure that all unconfirmed CHESSNs are purged from its student management system.

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