HECS vs HELP: what's the difference?
HECS (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) is the older name for the Australian government's university loan scheme, introduced in 1989. HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) is the umbrella term the government now uses for all its study loan schemes — HECS-HELP (for Commonwealth-supported university places), FEE-HELP, VET Student Loans and others.
In everyday use, 'HECS' and 'HELP' are interchangeable. When someone says 'my HECS debt', they almost always mean a HECS-HELP loan — the loan for Commonwealth-supported students. The ATO now calls the repayment system the 'study and training support loans' scheme.
Do HECS and HELP have the same repayment rules?
Yes for HECS-HELP: all HELP loans share the same repayment thresholds and rates. The 2026-27 minimum repayment threshold is $69,528, with marginal rates of 15 cents per dollar over the threshold, rising to a 10% cap on high incomes. HELP, VET Student Loan, SFSS, Student Start-up Loan, ABSTUDY SSL and the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan all share one set of thresholds, applied in a set order.
Is HECS-HELP the same as FEE-HELP?
No. HECS-HELP covers Commonwealth-supported places (CSP) — the government subsidises your fees and you repay the loan through the tax system. FEE-HELP covers full-fee places, typically at private universities or for postgraduate study, where no government subsidy applies.