DOMESTIC FEES & PAYMENTS

The following SAE Higher Education qualifications are eligible for full fee funding assistance under FEE-HELP:

• All Master course offerings.
• All Bachelor course offerings.
• All Associate Degree course offerings.
• These Diploma course offerings:
  • Diploma of Game Development
  • Diploma of 3D Animation Production
  • Diploma of Music Production
  • Diploma of Audio Production
  • Diploma of Graphic Design
  • Diploma of Film

What is FEE-HELP?

FEE-HELP allows an eligible student to apply for an Australian Government loan and start making repayments (through tax) when they are earning more than $46,620 per year (as per the 2020/21 financial year). Approved students can begin study without having to pay up-front fees.

FEE-HELP is a personal debt obligation that can affect your credit rating and have wage and tax repayment implications.

Detailed information about accessing FEE-HELP is available at the Study Assist website.

Who is eligible for FEE-HELP?

You may be eligible for FEE-HELP if you:

• meet the citizenship and residency requirements
• are an Australian citizen who will undertake, in Australia, at least one unit of study contributing to your course; OR
• are a permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of your unit; OR
• are a permanent visa holder who is undertaking bridging study for overseas-trained professionals, and will be resident in Australia for the duration of the study;
• are enrolled in an eligible unit of study by the census date for that unit, and have not exceeded the FEE-HELP limit.
• maintain a 50% pass rate for your units*

*For more information on pass rate requirements please refer to the FEE-HELP Information booklet for your current year of study.

How to apply for FEE-HELP?

To apply for a FEE-HELP loan, you will need to submit an eCAF (electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form) before the census date. Your eCAF invitation will be emailed to you prior to commencement. If you do not submit this form before the census date you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Note: you’ll have six weeks from the census date of a unit to correct any errors in your enrolment that would prevent you from being eligible for FEE-HELP. To complete your eCAF you will need:

• A tax file number (TFN). If you don’t have a TFN, you can submit a certificate of application for a TFN during the eCAF application process. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) after an application for a TFN has been received. Please be sure to follow all the steps when applying for a TFN, applying online is just the first step. Contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for TFN information.
• A USI – Unique Student Identifier is a reference number that creates an online record of your training and qualifications attained in Australia. To create a new USI or find your existing USI please visit the USI website. Click here for important information on the census and administrative dates, as well as further information on deadlines and withdrawals.

What course fees do FEE-HELP loans cover?

Eligible students studying Higher Education Diplomas, Associate, Bachelor, and Postgraduate Degree courses can borrow up to the FEE-HELP limit to pay their tuition fees for courses.

Lifetime Loan Limit

The lifetime loan limit is the total amount you can incur in your lifetime under any Commonwealth student loan scheme – whether it is Higher Education FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans, or a VET Student Loan. It is indexed each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2021, the lifetime loan limit is $108,232 for most students. Students can view their loan obligations by logging into myUniAssist on the Study Assist website. You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in. If you get a FEE-HELP loan to pay for your undergraduate course, you will have to pay a 25% loan fee*

*The loan fee does not count towards your FEE-HELP limit. Click here for more information on FEE-HELP.

VET Diplomas

The following SAE VET Diplomas are currently listed as approved and eligible for funding assistance under the new VET Student Loan (VSL) course with the loan funding capped at $10,342 per course.

• CUA50815 Diploma of Music Industry (Studio Production)
• CUA50815 Diploma of Music Industry (Electronic Music Production)
• CUA51015 Diploma of Screen & Media (Creative Industries)

What is VSL?

VSL allows eligible students to apply for an Australian Government loan and start making repayments (through tax) when they are earning more than $46,620 per year (as per the 2020/21 financial year). VSL is a personal debt obligation that can affect your credit rating and have wage and tax repayment implications.

Detailed information about accessing VSL is available at the Department of Education and Training website or access the VET Student Loan Information Booklet provided by the Department.

Who is eligible VET Student Loans?

You may be eligible for a VSL if you:

• meet citizenship/residency requirements;
• have a FEE-HELP balance of more than $0 (that is, have sufficient HELP balance remaining); and
• meet student entry requirements.

For more information on eligibility requirements, visit the Department of Education and Training website.

How to apply for a VSL

To apply for a VSL loan, you will need to submit an eCAF (electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form) before the census date. Your eCAF invitation will be emailed to you prior to commencement. If you do not submit this form before the census date you will not be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan.

Note: you’ll have six weeks from the census date of a unit to correct any errors in your enrolment that would prevent you from being eligible for FEE-HELP.

To complete your eCAF you will need:

• A tax file number (TFN). If you don’t have a TFN, you can submit a certificate of application for a TFN during the eCAF application process. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) after an application for a TFN has been received. Please be sure to follow all the steps when applying for a TFN, applying online is just the first step. Contact the ATO on 13 28 61 for TFN information.
• A USI – Unique Student Identifier is a reference number that creates an online record of your training and qualifications attained in Australia. To create a new USI or find your existing USI please visit the USI website.

VET Student Loan Invoicing

Fees are charged by study periods. Your payments will be spread across the duration of your course. Each study period has a census day, set at no less than 20% into the study period. You will be sent an Invoice Notice 14 days before each census day, indicating your fees and census dates. Your debt is incurred on the day after the census day.

After a census day has passed, SAE will also send you a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that study period. The CAN will provide you with information about your debt, including the loan fee if applicable. If you believe your CAN is incorrect, you should contact your college immediately.

For a few courses, there may be a gap between the course fee and the loan cap that the Commonwealth will allow for your course. You will be advised of this when you enquire, and also about other payment options that may be available.

Lifetime Loan Limit

The lifetime loan limit is the total amount you can incur in your lifetime under any Commonwealth student loan scheme – whether it is Higher Education FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans, or a VET Student Loan. It is indexed each year, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

In 2021, the lifetime loan limit is $108,232 for most students. Students can view their loan obligations by logging into myUniAssist on the Study Assist website. You will need your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) to log in.

SAE is able to offer HECS-HELP approved placements for eligible students enrolling in the Undergraduate Certificate in Augmented and Virtual Reality Application Development or the Graduate Certificate in Emerging Technologies, as part of the Commonwealth Grant Scheme.

Who is eligible for HECS-HELP?

You may be eligible for HECS-HELP if you meet the following criteria:

• studying in a Commonwealth supported place;
• an Australian citizen and meet the residency requirements (you must study at least part of your course in Australia) OR a New Zealand Special Category Visa (SCV) holder or permanent humanitarian visa holder and meet the residency requirements;
• submit the Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form to your provider by the census date;
• enrolled in each unit/subject at your provider by the census date;
• have not already borrowed up to your HELP loan limit.

If students choose not to apply for VET STUDENT LOANS, students are offered the option of paying fees via a payment plan which allows for students to pay their fees via installments. The first payment must be made on or prior to the due date on the invoice, with installments of a specific amount to be made as per the payment plan. Students are required to sign a “Payment Plan Agreement”, where the student agrees to pay the fees by specific dates and acknowledges the terms and conditions of the agreement. Further information on specific payment plan options will be advised upon enrolment.

Please note SAE is unable to accept more than $1,500 in prepaid fees, so all payment plan options must satisfy these criteria.

Tuition assistance is unavailable for Short Course courses and fees are due upfront on or prior to the due date of the invoice.

* Note for Certificate III in Music Industry applicants in Byron Bay, this training is subsidised by the NSW Government. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the Smart and Skilled website for further criteria on eligibility and subsidies available.

You may elect to pay fees using one of the following methods:

• Cheque or Australian Money Order payable to SAE Institute Pty Ltd
• Visa or Mastercard
• Electronic Transfer* or Direct Deposit* to the SAE Institute account:

Account Name: SAE Institute Pty Limited
Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation
Address: 109 St Georges Terrace. Perth WA 6000 Australia
BSB: 036-000
Account Number: 742586

For international transfers please use the SWIFT Code: WPACAU2S

*Please include the surname and student/applicant number in the subject field to ensure we can identify payment with the correct applicant.

Tuition Assurance protects the interests of current and intending students of SAE courses that lead to an accredited award in that it ensures students are given a suitable alternative course or have their course money refunded if the provider cannot provide the course for which the student has paid.

As of January 1 2018 and in accordance with the Department of Education and Training’s interim arrangements, SAE will be exempted from the requirement to meet VET and Higher Education tuition assurance requirements. Instead, SAE is required to comply with interim arrangements which ensure similar tuition assurance protection is provided to students. For further information about VET tuition assurance exemption refer to our Statement of Tuition Assurance for Exempt VET Student Loans Providers and our Statement of Tuition Assurance for Exempt VET FEE-HELP Providers. For information about Higher Education, tuition exemption refer to our Statement of Tuition Assurance Exemption for Higher Education.

In January 2020, the Australian Government expanded the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) for international students to include similar tuition protections for domestic students accessing a VET Student Loan (VSL), or a FEE-HELP or HECS-HELP loan at a private education provider. The VSL tuition protection arrangements commenced on 1 January 2020. Tuition protection arrangements will support VSL students, and replacement providers, if tuition protection is activated. For information about the tuition protection arrangements for FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP students, please visit education.gov.au.

SAE conforms to the requirements of the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) established by the Australian Government for overseas students which is part of the ESOS (Education Service for Overseas Students) Assurance Fund established under section 45 of the ESOS Act 2000. For further information about the Australian Government Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS) for international students refer to tps.gov.au/StaticContent/Get/StudentInformation.

You can apply for a refund of upfront tuition fees, a re-credit of a FEE HELP, or re-credit of a VET Student Loan balance in exceptional circumstances if:

• You were unable to continue studying and withdrew from the unit(s) after the census date has passed, or
• You were unable to successfully complete the requirements of the unit(s) to a minimum of a Pass (P).

This application is only relevant to units that have not been successfully completed, and have either a Fail, or Withdrawn grade (WK, WF or F). You cannot apply for re-credit or refund under special circumstances if you have successfully completed the unit.

Applications will not be approved where no special circumstances exist. A lack of knowledge or understanding of the FEE HELP/VSL administrative requirements/deadlines is not considered to be a special circumstance beyond a person’s control.

It is expected if you are applying for special circumstances after withdrawing from a unit after census date that you have first explored all avenues prior to the decision to withdraw, such as applying for special consideration (that is, requesting deferred assessment, extensions etc.) or other support and assistance that SAE may be able to provide.

It is important to note that special circumstances may only be awarded where it was not possible to complete the unit(s) to a minimum of a pass level. Not completing your unit to your usual standards is not itself a reason for remission/refund.

What are Special Circumstances

Special circumstances are those that are considered to be unusual, uncommon, or abnormal.

To meet special circumstances, you need to demonstrate that your circumstances meet all of the eligibility criteria:

• were beyond your control; and
• did not make the full impact on you until on or after the census(s) of the unit; and
• made it impracticable for you to complete the unit(s) and continue with your studies.

Special circumstances were beyond your control:

A situation occurs which a reasonable person would consider is not due to the person’s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the person is not responsible. This situation must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal. Lack of knowledge of the FEE-HELP system is not considered beyond a person’s control.

AND

Special circumstances did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date:

To meet these criteria the following circumstances must have occurred:

• before the census date, but worsened after that day, or
• before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude did not become apparent until after that date, or
• on or after the census date.

AND

Special circumstances made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit and continue with your studies:

To meet this criteria you will need to demonstrate it was impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit for the study period, because you were unable, for example:

• undertake the necessary private study required, or attend sufficient lectures or tutorials, or other compulsory attendance requirements in order to meet the compulsory unit requirements, or
• complete the required assessable work, or
• sit the required examinations, or complete any other course requirements.

NOTE:

Failure to meet any progressive course requirements of the unit(s) prior to the special circumstances developing will not necessarily mean your special circumstances made it impracticable for you to complete the unit(s) requirements. That is, if you needed to pass all assessment items prior to your special circumstances (e.g. medical) occurred, you could not have passed the unit even if you had not fallen ill, therefore your application is likely to be declined.

Not completing your unit to your usual standard is not in itself a reason for fee remission in special circumstances.

You must be able to demonstrate you were unable to complete your studies in that unit at a minimum of a pass level.

Examples of special circumstances

Please click here to review examples of special circumstances and what they do not include.

How to Apply

To apply, you will need to complete the relevant forms.

• Domestic application form
• International application form

On this form, you will need to provide a personal statement explaining your circumstances and how they meet the requirements of ‘special circumstances’ as detailed above. You will need to meet and address all three special circumstances detailed. This personal statement should include sufficient detail to allow us to make an informed decision about your application and circumstances.

You will also need to include relevant supporting documentation to support your application. Your application will be considered primarily on these supporting documents, so it is important your application includes these documents.

Depending on your reasons for applying you will need to provide varying independent supporting documentation. Please note: statements from family members are not considered independent and will not be accepted. Please read information on what types of documentation to include depending on your circumstance.

Please submit your completed application directly through to fee.remission@sae.edu or hand the completed documents to Student Services at your local campus.

Alternatively, you can post the completed application to:

c/o National Student Finance
SAE Creative Media Institute
373-391 Ewingsdale Road
Byron Bay, NSW, 2481

How your application will be assessed

SAE Institute will assess your application in accordance with the requirements of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 and associated guidelines. Your application will be considered on its merits and the supporting application must be of sufficient detail to the Student Fees Team to make an informed decision regarding your application.

We recognise that your application may include sensitive personal information. The information you provide is used only for the purpose of enabling a small central team of staff to make a decision about your application.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application within 28 days of the completed application being received by the Student Fees Team. The Fees Team may contact you to request additional supporting information if the application does not include sufficient information for the Fees Team to make a decision.

Time-frame for applications

You will need to apply for special circumstances within 12 months of the following dates:

• The date you withdrew from the course if you withdrew from it, or
• The end date of the relevant study period, if you didn’t withdraw.

Applications submitted more than 12 months after the relevant date will not be considered.

The Institute may consider waiving the application period, in accordance with HESA, if it is deemed not possible for the application to have been made within the 12 month period. Additional supporting documents will be required. Lack of knowledge of the debt is not considered reason itself as to why you could not submit an application.

What supporting documentation to include

It is most important to provide independent supporting documentation to support your application. It is not sufficient to provide only a personal statement outlining your special circumstances.

Please note, SAE Institute may contact any professional authority who has supported your application, to verify any information they have provided.

Your application, personal statement, and any supporting documents must be in English. An official translation in English must be included with your application for any supporting documentation issued in another language.

Please find the list of supporting documentation here.

Outcomes of the Application Process

You will be notified of the outcome of your application within 28 calendar days of the date the application was received by SAE Institute. The Notice of Decision will be sent to your student email and contain the following:

• the outcome of your application;
• reasons for the decision;
• how to apply for a review (if the application is refused).

Approved Applications

If your fee remission is approved the process applied for the re-crediting or remission of the financial liability will depend on your fee type and the method of payment used.

Fee-Help Loan Students: Students who incurred a FEE-HELP debt will have their debt removed (including any amounts incurred due to indexation) and their FEE-HELP balance re-credited. Students may check if the debt has been cancelled by logging into myUniAssist with your Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN). You can find your CHESSN on your Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN).

You will be provided with an amended Commonwealth Assistance Notice for the relevant study period.

Upfront Fee Paying Students: Students who have paid tuition fees upfront will have this amount credited to their student account. Where a student requires a refund of monies rather than a credit towards future study, the student will need to complete the Refund Application Form.

Rejected Applications and Appeals

If your application is rejected (i.e. we do not refund your FEE-HELP) and you’re not satisfied with the decision, you may apply for a review of the decision within 28 calendar days after you first received the decision on your application.

You will need to send your appeal c/o Director of Finance, to fee.appeal@sae.edu and you will need to include the following information:

• Your grounds for requesting a reconsideration of the decision; and
• Any additional supporting documentation you may wish to include in support of your appeal

We will advise you in writing of the receipt of the appeal. Your request will be reviewed by an independent Senior Officer of the Institute.

You will usually be notified of a decision within 28 days (in most cases) of the result of your appeal.

If your appeal application outcome is reviewed and you’re still dissatisfied, you can apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for a further review of the decision (this does not apply to full fee-paying students or international students). This must be lodged with the AAT within 28 days of receiving the notice of the decision.