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HELP

HELP

HELP repayments, indexation and home loans.

HELP is the government loan that pays your university fees. You repay it through your pay once your income passes $69,528 in 2026–27, and what is left is indexed each 1 June.

Your HELP repayments

Students, interns and anyone still repaying

Fill in your details above to see your result.

2026–27 rates: nothing up to $69,528, then 15 cents in each dollar above it, 17 cents above $129,717, and 10% of all your income from $186,051. Source: ATO.

Indexation and extra repayments

Anyone with a balance

  • Each 1 June the balance is indexed by the lower of inflation and wage growth: 2.8% on 1 June 2026.
  • Balances at 1 June 2025 were cut by 20%, automatically.
  • An extra repayment made at least 5 business days before 1 June comes off before indexation is worked out.
  • Whatever is left when you die is cancelled; your family does not repay it.

Source: Study Assist (2026); ATO; Universities Accord (Cutting Student Debt by 20 Per Cent) Act 2025.

HELP and borrowing

Before you apply for a loan

  • Lenders usually count your compulsory HELP repayment as a commitment, which lowers what you can borrow.
  • Since June 2025 a bank may leave it out if the debt will be repaid within about 12 months. It reports this to APRA as an exception.
  • Packaged benefits count toward HELP repayment income; see Salary packaging.

Source: APRA (June 2025); ASIC RG 209 (March 2025); ATO.

Leaving Australia with HELP

Going home, or working overseas

  • Going overseas for 183 days or more in 12 months: update your details and tell the ATO within 7 days of leaving.
  • Each year, report your worldwide income, or lodge a non-lodgment advice, by 31 October.
  • Repayments then work on your worldwide income, at the same thresholds.

Source: ATO; Study Assist.

Rural GPs and nurse practitioners can have HELP clearedGPs and nurse practitioners at MM 3 to 7 can have half or all of their HELP cleared. Count your time on Rural placements.

What to know

RequirementHELP was cut by 20%Balances at 1 June 2025 were cut by a fifth automatically. In 2026–27 repayments start above $69,528 of income.Source: ATO and Department of Education
RequirementHELP follows prices or wages, whichever is lowerSince 2023 each 1 June indexation uses the lower of inflation and wage growth. It was 2.8% on 1 June 2026.Source: Department of Education; Study Assist

What we don’t

  • Say whether to repay HELP early