Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ATO | Australian Taxation Office |
| Bpay | Bpay is a method of payment from your cheque, savings or credit account, arranged through your bank or credit union. |
| Census Date | If you are a student, regardless of whether you are commonwealth supported or not, any withdrawal you make after the study period census date will incur an academic penalty (for example, a fail grade) and a financial penalty (for example, no refund of your student contribution or tuition fees). |
| Commonwealth Assistance Form | Specifically known as either the HECS-HELP form or FEE-HELP form |
| Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) | The Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN): your notice containing information about enrolment and use of Commonwealth assistance. Higher education providers must issue a CAN to each of their Commonwealth assisted students after the census date. |
| Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) | This is your unique identifier, allocated to all students accessing Commonwealth Assistance for higher education. |
| Commonwealth Supported | To be considered for Commonwealth Support you must
The Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) allows eligible students to defer their student contribution (through HECS-HELP) and repay it later through the taxation system. |
| Course of study | A course of study leading to a higher education award or an enabling course. A combined or double degree is one course of study. |
| DIAC | Department of Immigration and Citizenship |
| Domestic Fee Paying | This category applies to Australian, New Zealand or Permanent Resident students who enrol in a Domestic Fee Paying course. You may utilise the FEE-HELP scheme if you are eligible. |
| Domestic Student | A student who is an Australian citizen, a New Zealand citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa |
| eCAF | An electronic version of the Commonwealth Assistance form. |
| EFT | Electronic Funds Transfer |
| Equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) | One EFTSL is a measure of the study load, for a year, of a student undertaking a course of study on a full time basis. For a credit point - EFTSL converter please visit our EFTSL page. |
| ESOS | Education Services for Overseas Students |
| FEE-HELP | FEE-HELP is a loan given to eligible fee-paying students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. You can borrow up to the amount of the tuition fee being charged by your provider for your unit of study. However, over your lifetime you can borrow only up to the FEE-HELP limit. This amount is indexed each year. A loan fee of 20% applies to FEE-HELP loans for undergraduate courses of study. The FEE-HELP limit does not include the loan fee. No loan fee applies to FEE-HELP loans for postgraduate courses, bridging courses for overseas-trained |
| Fee Paying Student | A domestic student who is not Commonwealth supported for a unit of study. Fee-paying students pay tuition fees. Fee-paying students are also known as 'non-Commonwealth supported students'. |
| HECS-HELP | HECS-HELP is a loan available to eligible students enrolled in Commonwealth Supported places. A HECS-HELP loan will cover all or part of the Student Contribution Amount. If you receive a HECS-HELP loan, the Australian Government pays the loan amount directly to your higher education provider (provider) on your behalf. A HECS-HELP debt is recorded for you with the Tax Office against your Tax File Number. |
| HELP | Higher Education Loan Program |
| HESA | Higher Education Support Act |
| International Student | In the Australian higher education sector, an 'international student' is a person who:
|
| LPF | Late Payment Fee |
| Minimum Threshold | This is the limit above which compulsory repayments are to be paid in your tax returns. Your compulsory repayment amount depends on your HELP repayment income of each income year. |
| Not-For-Degree | Not-For-Degree study is a program which does not lead to a formal award. It may comprise a unit or units of study from an award course and may be counted as credit towards an award course in some cases. |
| OpenUnis | Open Universities Australia - formerly Open Learning Australia |
| PIP | Payment Instalment Plan - Available to international students how are having difficulties making payments |
| Post billpay | Post billpay is a service offered by Australia Post to make payments. |
| Refund | A refund involves the return of money to a student that made an upfront payment |
| Remission | This is where your FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP debt is removed by your provider because of special circumstances. |
| Remission of HELP-Debt | A Remission of HELP-Debt refers to Commonwealth Supported Students, utilising either HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP to assist with paying their tuition fees, who are still enrolled after the census date for the study period but are unable to continue studying because of circumstances outside of their control. |
| Request for Commonwealth Support Form | You are required to complete this form if you fall into one of the categories listed below:
|
| RPL | Recognition of Prior Learning (credit for study undertaken at another institution) |
| Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) | All Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens and holders of a permanent visa are allocated a Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). This is measured in equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL), which is the proportion of a full-time study load that a unit of study you enrol in represents. Your higher education provider sets an EFTSL value for each unit of study it offers. The EFTSL value for each unit indicates how much of your entitlement you will use if you undertake that unit. To be Commonwealth supported for a unit, you must have enough SLE to cover the EFTSL value of the unit you intend to undertake. |
| Additional SLE | An extra entitlement to ensure you have enough SLE to complete at least one course of study as a Commonwealth supported student. Any additional SLE you are granted for a course of study can only be used for that particular course. |
| How much SLE am I entitled to? | Your SLE is made up of ordinary, any additional and lifelong SLE. Your SLE will be used as you undertake study as a Commonwealth supported student. Any study you undertook before 2005 does not affect your SLE. It is your responsibility as a Commonwealth supported student to monitor how much SLE you use |
| Lifelong Learning Entitlement (SLE) | The type of SLE that you accrue each January if eligible, beginning either on your 27th birthday or 1 January 2012, to encourage lifelong learning. |
| Ordinary SLE | The type of SLE that domestic students receive when they first commence higher education. All domestic students start with an ordinary SLE of 7 EFTSL. |
| Sanction | A Sanction is a warning put on the Student's record, to alert the student of outstanding requirements and which may withhold certain privileges. |
| Sponsorship | If your tuition fees are being paid by an organisation who has signed a sponsorship agreement with the University, you are classified as a sponsored student. |
| Student contributions | Contributions that Commonwealth supported students make towards the cost of their education. |
| Tax File Number (TFN) | If you do not have a TFN, you will need to complete a Tax file number application or enquiry form for an individual, which is available from the Tax Office. TFN's cannot be allocated over the telephone, by fax or email. For information on how to apply for a TFN or if you cannot find your TFN, phone the Personal Tax Infoline on 13 28 61 or visit the Australian Taxation Office website. |
| TT | Telegraphic Transfer |
| Unit of study | a subject or unit that you undertake with a provider that could form part of a course of study. |
| Up-front payment | Partial or full payment of student contributions made direct to the provider on or before the census date. |
| WAIT | Western Australian Institute of Technology - became Curtin University of Technology in 1987. |
| WLPF | Weekly Late Payment Fee |
