VET Student Loans is a student  loan scheme for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector which assists eligible, full fee-paying students to pay for most of their course fees. VSL are offered by the government, and any student taking up this loan creates a debt that continues to be a debt until it is fully repaid to the Commonwealth. Full details regarding VSL can be obtained by reading the VET Student Loan Information booklet issued by the Department of Education and Training. or by phoning our office on 03 9876 5199.

The loan is interest free.  The government applies a one-off 20% charge on the amount borrowed which is added to the loan amount.  The debt amount owing is increased annually according to CPI.

VET Student Loans cover approximately 70% of course costs, and funding will be evenly apportioned over the 8 terms of the course.  The government will issue the exact 2024 VSL loan limit toward the end of 2023.  You can see what this means for you regarding your out-of-pocket payable fees per term by visiting our Fees page.

This loan, until it is repaid, may impact upon the borrower’s future borrowing capacity.  A student may wish to seek independent financial advice before opting-in to the loan scheme.

To be eligible to apply for a VET Student Loan the student must:

• be academically suitable to undertake the Advanced Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education program. The requirements and documents for enrolment are specified in the Seminar’s Enrolment Policy available on the Seminar’s Policy webpage.
• be enrolled in the Advanced Diploma by the census date
• be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holder, or a qualifying New Zealand citizen who meets the long-term residency requirements
• be a resident in Australia for the duration of your study
• not have already exceeded the FEE-HELP limit. You can check your FEE-HELP balance by logging into your myGov account or going to https://myhelpbalance.gov.au/
• have a valid Unique Student Identifier (USI)
• hold a current Australian Tax File number
• have provided the required enrolment documents to the Seminar to enable submission of the loan application form by the first census day.

When you complete the online application to enrol in the Advanced Diploma,  you will be asked to indicate your intention to apply for VET Student Loans. When a study place has been offered to you, the Seminar will notify the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).  You will then receive an email (eCAF) from them so that you can submit a Request for a VET Student Loan. This is your formal application for a VET Student Loan.  You do not need to contact DESE directly.

You must submit your eCAF on, or before, your first census day. If you do not submit your eCAF on or before the census day, you will not be able to access a VET Student Loan for that term. 

See the Census information under ‘VET Student Loan Resources’ on this page.

For information about repaying your loan:

• Study Assist Australia
•  Compulsory repayments
• Voluntary repayments