What is the Difference Between HECS and Fee Help?

06/06/2025 • Felipe Moraes

HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP are both loan schemes provided by the Australian Government to help students pay for their tuition fees. However, there are some key differences between the two:

  1. Eligibility: HECS-HELP is available for eligible Commonwealth Supported students studying at public universities, while FEE-HELP is for eligible domestic fee-paying students at both public universities and approved FEE-HELP providers.
  2. Assistance Type: HECS-HELP is an assistance to pay for student contributions as a Commonwealth Supported student, mainly for undergraduate programs. It can be either a loan or in the form of a discount. On the other hand, FEE-HELP is a loan for students who pay their full tuition fees.
  3. Fee-Paying Status: HECS-HELP is for students enrolled in Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP), which are subsidized by the government, while FEE-HELP covers tuition fees for students who are not enrolled in CSP and have to pay their full tuition fees.
  4. Loan Limit: From January 1, 2020, the Department of Education introduced a combined HELP loan limit, which includes FEE-HELP and other HELP schemes such as HECS-HELP.

In summary, HECS-HELP is for students studying in Commonwealth Supported Places at public universities and can be either a loan or a discount, while FEE-HELP is a loan for domestic fee-paying students at both public universities and approved providers.

Comparative Table: HECS vs Fee Help

Here is a table comparing the differences between HECS and FEE-HELP:

Feature HECS-HELP FEE-HELP
Purpose Loan for eligible Commonwealth supported students studying at public universities (and some approved private higher education institutions) Loan for eligible domestic fee-paying students
Interest No interest charged No interest charged
Repayment Repayment is based on income thresholds and is required once a minimum income is reached Repayment is based on income thresholds and is required once a minimum income is reached
Lifetime Limit No lifetime limit for borrowing Lifetime limit for borrowing
Course Level Primarily for undergraduate courses For postgraduate and undergraduate courses
Pass Rate Requirements Students must pass at least 50% of their total attempted units to remain eligible for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP No 50% pass rate requirement found

Please note that the information provided is based on available sources and may change over time. For the most up-to-date information, visit the official government websites.

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