Study now and pay later at Chisholm

VET Student Loans (VSL) is an income-contingent loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay for all or part of their Vocational Education and Training (VET) tuition fees when studying a VSL approved course at Chisholm.

VSL can be offered to eligible students who are enrolling into an approved Diploma or Advanced Diploma course that are linked to industry needs and employment outcomes.

For a full list of Chisholm's VET Student Loans-eligible courses, download the Tuition Fee Schedule - VET Student Loans - Eligible Courses and Loan Cap. Chisholm is an approved VSL provider who can offer a selection of VSL-eligible courses that are on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website. Each VSL-eligible course has an associated loan cap amount. Students are only entitled to loans up to the specified loan cap amount of each VSL-eligible course, providing the student has not reached their maximum HELP loan limit.

You can also see if your preferred course is eligible for a VET Student Loan by viewing the 'Help with Fees' information on the respective course page.

Students pay back their HELP debt through the tax system once you earn above the compulsory repayment threshold. The compulsory repayment threshold is different each year. You can make a voluntary repayment to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) at any time.

For more information about VET Student Loans, visit our VET Student Loan – Citizenship Confirmation page.

If you are unsure as to what citizenship evidence you may need to provide, please contact us on 1300 244 746.

Please note: Australian permanent residents are not eligible to access VET Student Loans.

Student entry procedure

One of the eligibility requirements for access to tuition fee assistance under the Commonwealth Government's VET Student Loan scheme is an assessment of your suitability to undertake your chosen course of study.

If you wish to apply for a VET Student Loan, you must either:

  • provide a copy of a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education awarded to you by an agency or authority of a State or Territory for your completion of your Australian Year 12 Certificate (VCE Vocational Major Intermediate or VCE Vocational Major Senior certificate also meets requirements); OR
  • hold an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV or higher qualification, or an overseas qualification that has been formally recognised by a Federal, State or Territory government agency which assesses overseas qualifications (or an organisation contracted to undertake such assessments such as  VETASSESS) as equivalent to an AQF level Certificate IV or higher qualification; OR
  • complete a reading and numeracy assessment that demonstrates your competence at or above Exit Level 3 in the Australian Core Skills Framework. OR
  • provide a copy of your Diploma awarded for completion in an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB).

Please note: Chisholm will provide access to the bksbLive 2* tool for a reading (English) and numeracy (maths) assessment as part of our application and enrolment process. The assessment must be completed without assistance – Assistance includes help from another person or the use of electronic devices or aids to search for answers to the assessment.

Upon completion of the assessment, you will have immediate access to your results by logging into bksbLIVE 2*. In addition, the results will be reported to the Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Workplace Relations - who provides access to a VET Student Loan. The report will be in the form, manner and by the time requested by the Secretary. Chisholm is required to retain the results of your reading and numeracy assessment for at least five (5) years. This assessment is a requirement for the Commonwealth Government to approve your VET Student Loan application.

Added protections for students as part of the VET Student Loans scheme

The VET Student Loans scheme is being implemented to provide sustainable and affordable opportunities for students to undertake higher level VET Courses. The program aligns to industry needs and employment outcomes, to provide students with the skills required by employers and industry. The program is designed to provide greater protection to vulnerable students, taxpayers and the reputation of Australia’s high quality VET system.

One of these protections is the two-day (business days) cooling-off period. You can only apply for a VET Student Loan two business days after you have enrolled in your studies. This rule allows you time to think about the full impacts of taking on a student loan. During the two days cooling-off, you may consider other course options or work out how the debt will affect your circumstances. This is a mandatory requirement for all TAFE, dual sector Universities and private training providers.

Even if you are certain that you want to use a VET Student Loan, Chisholm can only accept a VET Student Loans application at least two business days after you have enrolled.

If you decide that you do not wish to utilise VET Student Loans for your enrolment, you can return to Chisholm before the two-day waiting period to arrange an alternate payment method. It is important to finalise your payment option within 14 days of your enrolment. Please Note: Tuition fees will be rounded to the nearest dollar under most payment options.

 Also available:

*bksbLIVE 2 – The Basic Key Skills Builder (bksb) is an online skills review tool used to determine a student’s reading and numeracy levels within the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).