VET student loans

A loan if you’re studying an approved Vocational Education and Training (VET) course.

Who can get it

If you’re studying an approved VET course with an approved provider, you may be eligible for a VET Student Loan (VSL). A VET Student Loan can help you pay for your course fees.

Use the VSL eligibility check on the Your Career website to check if you can get it.

Find out more about VET Student Loans on the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations website.

How to get it

You’ll need to apply directly to your approved course provider. Your course provider can help you prepare what you need to apply for the loan.

You can ask your course provider if they are approved to provide VET Student Loans.

Paying back your loan

You pay back your VSL the same way you pay other debts through the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

You only start to pay back your loan when your income is above the minimum repayment threshold.

There is a loan fee and indexation on your loan. This means you may have to pay back more than your original loan amount. To see how your VET Student Loan may increase, use the VSL calculator on the Your Career website.

You need to tell your employer you have a VET Student Loan. This is so they can withhold amounts from your wage to help you make the compulsory payments at tax time.

Find out more about paying back your loan on the ATO website. These links will take you away from myGov.

Making a complaint about your VET Student Loan

If you have a complaint about your VET Student Loan you should first talk with your provider.

You can also lodge a complaint with the Commonwealth Ombudsman for VET Student Loans. This is a free service which provides independent and impartial advice.

The Ombudsman can help if you:

  • believe you have a debt that you should not have
  • feel that your course provider has treated you unfairly.

Find out how you can get help on the Commonwealth Ombudsman for VET Student Loan website.


Page last updated: 3 September 2024