So, I have previously completed a degree and applied for a HECS-HELP loan to cover it. I still have a HELP debt associated with it. I plan on pursuing further education at an institute which offers FEE-HELP to cover the costs of their degrees. What exactly would happen to my existing HELP debt if I make a new application for FEE-HELP to study at the new institute? Is there a limit to how large this debt can be?
Hi @ChasmChasm,
When you apply for FEE-HELP for your new studies, your new loan will be added to your existing HELP debt. All your HELP loans (including HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP) sit in the same HELP account on your tax profile, so we can't split them up.
Your combined HELP loans will be treated as one debt for repayment purposes. The debt gradually increases with each new course, and indexation applies annually to HELP debts that are more than 11 months old. Your borrowing limit depends on your field of study.
Repayments start when your income exceeds the minimum repayment threshold. Your employer will withhold extra tax throughout the year to help cover your compulsory repayment, which is applied as a lump sum after you lodge your tax return.
You can check your current loan balance and make voluntary repayments through your ATO online services account.
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