Login

Financial Assistance

Degree, diploma or certificate courses at Avondale are easy to manage financially with access to a wide range of financial assistance options.

Australian Government Education Assistance Schemes



FEE-HELP


From 2005 Avondale degree courses became more affordable than ever before because of a new interest-free government loan scheme called FEE-HELP.

FEE-HELP allows you to defer payment of tuition fees for courses at Avondale and other approved higher education institutions.

You are eligible for FEE-HELP if you:
  • are a new or continuing student
  • are enrolled in any of Avondale's undergraduate or postgraduate courses
  • are enrolled in our Diploma of General Studies (Foundation Studies) course
  • are an Australian citizen; or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa who will live in Australia for the duration of any unit of study for which you are assisted by FEE-HELP
  • have an Australian Tax File Number
  • submit your Request for FEE-HELP assistance form by the due date

You are not eligible for FEE-HELP if:
  • you are a Commonwealth supported student in our education or nursing courses
  • you are enrolled in one of our VTE courses
  • you are not an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa
  • you have exceeded the FEE-HELP limit even if the FEE-HELP loan has been fully repaid
  • you are not able to quote your Tax File Number by the due date
  • you are late submitting your Request for FEE-HELP assistance form
  • you submit a copy or facsimile of the application form instead of an original

Your eligibility is not affected by
  • your income and assets
  • existing HELP debts

How it works


If you are eligible for FEE-HELP:
  • you are able to borrow up to $81,600 towards the payment of your tuition. This is called your lifetime limit. It is indexed each year.
  • the government pays the amount you borrow directly to Avondale. You then repay the government through the taxation system
  • you are not required to repay any of this amount unless your income is above the minimum income threshold in any income year. This threshold is set at $39,825 for the 2007-08 income (financial) year but will be adjusted each year to reflect changes in average weekly earnings.

What does a FEE-HELP loan cover?


Tuition only. It does not cover facility fees, or accommodation and living expenses.

Costs and charges in taking out a FEE-HELP loan


There is no application fee for requesting FEE-HELP. The loan amount is indexed each year to the CPI (as for HECS-HELP) , but there is no additional interest. A loan fee of 20% is applied to FEE-HELP loans if you are taking our Diploma of General Studies (Foundation Studies) or an undergraduate course but it is not applied if you are taking one of our postgraduate courses including the Graduate Diploma in Theology .

Example: Suppose you take out a FEE-HELP loan of $1000 for a subject. Your loan fee will be $200 and you will repay $1200.

The loan fee is in lieu of any interest rate above the Consumer Price Index.

The $81,600 limit does not include the loan fee.

How does FEE-HELP assist me pay my tuition fees?


Avondale sets the tuition fees for each subject. You may choose to pay those fees in several ways:
  • pay the tuition fees upfront
  • pay 50% deposit at the start of each semester and the balance in 3 monthly installments
  • pay some of the tuition fees upfront and request a FEE-HELP loan for the balance
  • request a FEE-HELP loan for the full tuition fee

What do you need to do?


  • Determine the eligibility of the course you wish to take with Avondale
  • If you do not have a tax file number, you will be need to complete a Tax File Number application or enquiry form which is available from the Tax Office or online at the ATO website. A TFN is allocated within 28 days of application. If you are applying for a TFN less than one month before the due date for submitting the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form, ask the Tax Office for a Certificate of application for a TFN. Provide this certificate to the Student Finance Office as evidence that you have applied for a TFN when submitting your Request for FEE-HELP assistance form.
  • Submit the Request for FEE-HELP assistance form by the due date. It is too late to request FEE-HELP after this date.

You will need to submit another Request for FEE-HELP assistance form if:
  • you enrol in two courses
  • you transfer to a different course
  • you transfer from Avondale to another higher education provider
  • change your enrolment details such as name

Important dates for 2008


The Request for FEE-HELP assistance form is to be completed and submitted to Avondale's Student Finance Office by these dates:
  • Friday 28 March for students commencing in Semester 1
  • Friday 29 August for students commencing in Semester 2
  • Date to be advised for postgraduate students other than the two-year Bachelor of Teaching and Graduate Diploma in Theology.

Do not confuse these dates with the dates for academic withdrawal.



More information on FEE-HELP is available on the Going to Uni website: www.goingtouni.gov.au including details of rates at which repayment occurs, voluntary repayments, accessing details of HELP debts, and much more.

HECS-HELP


Avondale's Education and Nursing courses attract government funding which covers the tuition component of fees. If you are applying for one of these course, you are advised that Commonwealth supported places will be offered to students on the basis of a tertiary entrance ranking. If the number of successful applicants exceeds the number of Commonwealth supported places, students with lower rankings will be offered FEE-HELP.

A student's student contribution is determined by reference to a number of variables including the number and mix of subjects taken and the student contribution level established by each institution.

International students do not qualify for government funding and are not liable for HECS charges.

What is new about HECS?


From 2005 HECS places will be called Commonwealth supported places. Students are able to defer repayment of their student contribution or receive a discount for up-front payment. From 2005 these arrangements are called HECS-HELP assistance.

The minimum repayment threshold for compulsory repayment of a HELP debt has been increased to $39,825 for 2007-08 financial year. This means that you will not have to begin payment of a HECS debt until you are earning above $39,825.

Students receive a discount of 20% for up-front payments of $500 or more and voluntary repayments attract a bonus of 10% from January 2005.

Each student has a Student Learning Entitlement of seven years. This scheme, introduced from 2005, gives eligible students access to Commonwealth supported places for a period equivalent to seven years full-time study.

You are eligible for Commonwealth support for a unit of study if you:
  • enrol in the unit on or before the due date
  • submit a completed Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form on or before the due date
  • are an Australian citizen
  • are a New Zealand citizen
  • are a holder of a permanent humanitarian visa have sufficient Student Learning Entitlement

Please note again that you are not guaranteed a place even if you are eligible, since Avondale allocates Commonwealth supported places on merit.

New Zealand students are not able to access HECS-HELP assistance which means that you cannot defer repayments nor are you eligible for a discount for up-front payments.

It is important to submit your completed Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form and finalise arrangements for payment of your student contribution by the due date. Failure to do this will result in Avondale cancelling your enrolment as a Commonwealth supported student.

How much is the student contribution?


Each institution sets the student contribution amount within limits established by government.

National Priority Places - up to $4,077

Education and nursing

Band 1 - up to $5,095

Humanities behavioral sciences, social sciences, foreign languages, performing and visual arts

Band 2 – up to $7,260

Mathematics, statistics, computing, the built environment, health, engineering, science, surveying, agriculture

Band 3 – up to $8,499

Law, dentistry, medicine, veterinary science, accounting, administration, economics, commerce.

Note: Avondale students are only eligible for Commonwealth supported places in education and nursing.

If a student with a commonwealth supported place elects one of the European study tour subjects, MK384.1, MK387.1, MK394.1, MT384.1, MT387.1, MT394.1, MS287.1, RN201.1 or RN201.2, he/she will also need to fund the travel costs relating to these subjects which could vary between $3000- $6000.

Eligibility for HECS-HELP assistance


HECS-HELP Assistance enables you to defer repayment of your student contribution or receive a discount for up-front payment.

You are eligible for HECS-HELP assistance if you:
  • are enrolled in a unit if study as a Commonwealth supported student
  • are an Australian citizen
  • are a holder of permanent humanitarian visa
  • submit a completed Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form; and
  • supply your Tax File Number; or
  • pay 80% of your student contribution amount up-front to Avondale. The Australian Government will pay the remaining 20% to Avondale. This represents your HECS-HELP discount.

An existing HELP debt doesn't affect your eligibility. Nor do your assets or income.

What do you need to do?


  • Determine the eligibility of the course you wish to take with Avondale
  • If you do not have a tax file number, you will be need to complete a Tax File Number application or enquiry form which is available from the Tax Office or on the ATO website. A TFN is allocated within 28 days of application. If you are applying for a TFN less than one month before the due date for submitting the Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form, ask the Tax Office for a Certificate of application for a TFN. Provide this certificate to the Student Finance Office as evidence that you have applied for a TFN when submitting your Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form.
  • Submit the Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form by the due date. It is too late to request HECS-HELP after this date.

Payment Options under HECS-HELP


If you are eligible for HECS-HELP assistance you may choose to either:
  • make a full up-front payment for all units of study to Avondale. You will receive a 20% discount
  • pay part of your student contribution amounts up-front and receive a 20% discount for any amounts of $500 or more and obtain a HECS-HELP loan for the remainder; or
  • obtain a HECS-HELP loan for the full amount of your student contribution amount

Important dates for 2008


The Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form is to be completed and submitted to Avondale's Student Finance Office by these dates:
  • Friday 28 March for students commencing in Semester 1
  • Friday 29 August for students commencing in Semester 2
  • Date to be advised for postgraduate students other than the two-year Bachelor of Teaching and Graduate Diploma in Theology.

Do not confuse these dates with the dates for academic withdrawal.



More information on HECS-HELP is available on the Going to Uni website: www.goingtouni.gov.au including details of rates at which repayment occurs, voluntary repayments, accessing details of HELP debts, and much more.

Youth Allowance, Austudy, Abstudy and Pensioner Education Supplement



Youth Allowance provides assistance to students aged 16-24. Austudy payment provides assistance to full-time students aged 25 and over. ABSTUDY provides assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander full-time students by providing income support and other supplementary assistance tailored to their needs. Some supplementary assistance is available to part-time students under ABSTUDY. Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) is a payment which provides help with ongoing costs of study for recipients of some social security and Veteran's Affairs income support payments.

Special rates apply for long term unemployed. Students may generally earn money and still qualify for these allowances. Some assistance may also be available for travel costs to Avondale under the Fare Allowance scheme, if you are living away from home.

To qualify for any of these government allowances, students generally need to study at least 75% of a full time load. This is equivalent to a study load of 18 credit points in an Avondale study program. If your load falls below this you may not be eligible for these allowances. Youth Allowance recipients may still qualify if you satisfy the Activity Test in another way such as searching for a job. Some students can receive these allowances for part-time study.

Information on eligibility and types and levels of allowances is published in Youth Allowance: The Guide; Austudy Payment; ABSTUDY: The Guide; or Pensioner Education Supplement. Contact your local Centrelink Customer Service Centre or check the website at www.centrelink.gov.au

Tax Deductibility


Tuition fees may be tax deductible for Australian students who are employed in areas related to their studies. Avondale gives no guarantee of any tax deductibility. Professional taxation advice should be obtained.

The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church Assistance Schemes



The SDA Church provides a number of programs and schemes for assistance with fees. Some of these are only available to members of the Adventist Church or their families. Others are available to all applicants within the region included in the South Pacific Division (SPD) of the SDA Church. This includes the following countries and territories:

Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati, Kirimati, New Caledonia, Niue, Pitcairn, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and Western Samoa.

Scholarships


Complete list of Scholarships

Awards


Complete list of Awards

Avondale Fees


Avondale's fees are set by Council in August of each year for the following year. These are advertised on the web site but are also available in printed form from the Enquiry & Enrolment Centre or Student Finance Office once set by Council. Fees will generally increase in line with the increase in cost of living.

Tuition and Residence Fees


Avondale's fees fall into several categories:
  • Tuition fees which contribute to the costs of studying at Avondale.
  • Residential fees which cover the costs of on-campus residence.
  • Education Students qualify for a Commonwealth Supported Place.
  • Optional service charge to access facilities on campus


Payment Options


Payment of fees is easier with some forward planning and these options.

Full Payment of Semester Fees


Full payment of fees at the start of each semester.

Instalment Plan


The payment by instalment plan means you only need to pay half the semester's fees at the beginning of each semester and the balance in three easy monthly instalments.

Payment Methods


Online options: BPay for Australian applicants is available through your bank's online services.

Avondale's online payment service may be used by all registered students and is accessed from a link on the front page of our website: www.avondale.edu.au and select Online Payments.

Mastercard, Visa Card, American Express, Bankcard (Australia and New Zealand only), Personal Cheque, EFTPOS (Australia only and personal limits apply), Money Order, Bank Cheque, Cash (Australian currency only), Bank Draught (Australian dollars only).

Financial Clearance


Students need to complete the Financial Clearance process at the start of each semester. An individualized Fee Statement will be sent to all applicants prior to registration date. This will outline the fees payable and will advise when and how you can complete financial clearance. You may complete financial clearance prior to registration day to save time.

Fees for each semester must be paid in full before students can commence the following semester. Payment received will be applied to a previous semester's account before being credited to a new semester.

Fee Guarantor


Payment of fees is the responsibility of the person who signs the guarantee on the General Application for Enrolment form. If a problem arises regarding payment of fees, the fee payer should contact the Student Finance Office as soon as possible. Staff will be happy to assist with any problems fee payers may experience.

Refund Agreement


Withdrawal or Residential Status change
How to Apply for a Refund
When will refunds be paid?
Details can be found on our Policies page at www.avondale.edu.au/information/policies/index.php

Student Finance Advice


The Student Finance Office at Avondale helps many students and their families secure financial assistance. Staff will assist you with any queries relating to fees and financial assistance. Contact the Office direct on (02) 4980 2108 or Australia Freecall 1800 804324.

Contact Details


Enquiry and Enrolment Centre


PO Box 19, Cooranbong NSW 2265
Freecall Australia: 1800 804324
Direct Line: 612 4980 2377
Fax: 02 4980 2151
Email:scholarships@avondale.edu.au

Student Finance Office


PO Box 19, Cooranbong NSW 2265
Freecall Australia: 1800 804324
Direct Line: 612 4980 2108
Fax: 02 4980 2118
Email:student.finance@avondale.edu.au

Office Hours During Semester


Enquiry and Enrolment Centre


Monday - Thursday 8:30am-5:00pm
Friday 8:30am-12:15pm

Student Finance Office


Monday - Thursday 8:30am-4.30pm
Friday 8:30am-12:00pm