OS-Help

The Commonwealth Government allocates a number of OS-HELP loans to the University each year. These are available to Commonwealth Supported Students in order to provide financial assistance to undertake part of their course of study overseas.

Students can apply for a maximum of two OS-HELP loans.

The details of recipients of OS-HELP loans are provided to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment and then to the Australian Taxation Office. Your OS-HELP loan will be added to your HECS-HELP liability (if applicable). You will repay this loan through the taxation system once your income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayments, ie. when you start receiving a certain salary.

The OS-HELP loan amount which will be offered to each successful student will be equivalent to the amount per student supplied to the University by the Commonwealth Government for that year. Students may apply for a lesser amount.

Eligibility

To get an OS-HELP loan, you must:

  • have been selected by your provider to receive an OS‑HELP loan;
  • be an Australian citizen or a permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the residency requirements;
  • have not received an OS‑HELP loan on more than one other occasion;
  • be enrolled with an Australian provider in a Commonwealth supported place and have completed one equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) - usually one year of full-time study;
  • be studying full-time overseas and this study will count towards the course requirements for the Australian course you are enrolled in;
  • have at least 0.125 EFTSL of your course left to complete once you have finished your overseas study - usually one unit of study;
  • have a valid tax file number (TFN) at the time of applying
  • have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) prior to the first census date (for new enrolments from 1 January 2021)
  • have submitted an eCAF OS-HELP debt confirmation form to your provider (this will only happen once you are notified that your application for the loan is successful); and
  • have read the 2024 OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions | StudyAssist.

How to Apply

Step 1 – Check your eligibility against the criteria above

Step 2 – Complete the OS Help Loan application form and submit along with all supporting documents to the Student Fees Office

Assessment of Applications

The total funds available by Department of Education, Skills and Employment for OS-HELP loans are limited each year, so loans may not be available to all students who apply.

If there are insufficient funds for all eligible applicants, Student Administration will select the students to receive loans by applying one or more of the following criteria:

  • Preference may be given to students who are participating in the University of Notre Dame Exchange Program.
  • Loans may be awarded to students with the highest GPA
  • Preference may be granted to students who have not previously received OS-HELP.

Timeline

Deadline for receipt of applications: Students must apply for OS-HELP by the 31 May for programs in the winter break or semester 2, and by the 31 October for programs in the summer break or semester 1.

Notification of allocation of loans: Students will be informed in writing of the outcome of their application. This email will include confirmation of the total amount of the loan and any conditions which may apply, or that the application has been denied and the reasons why. If a Student feels that due process has not been followed or an administrative error has occurred in the review of their application, students may write to the Campus Registrar for a review of that decision, identifying where the due process or administrative error has occurred. The (person who makes the decision) will respond to the Student with a final determination within 14 days. The decision of the (person who makes the decision) is final.

Acceptance of loan: To accept the loan, students will be expected to submit their eCAF debt confirmation form online within 7 days of receipt of the successful outcome notification. eCAF debt confirmation forms not received within 7 days will be deemed to have been declined and will be offered to other eligible students in accordance with these policies. When a student completes the OS-Help Loan eCAF debt confirmation from via the eCAF Government portal, a pdf copy of the completed form will be sent to the student as confirmation.

Loan payments: Students will receive their loan in one payment only in the form of a transfer to the student’s bank account within 3-4 weeks of receipt of a student’s acceptance.

Record of payment: Students will receive a Commonwealth Assistance Notice within 28 days of their OS-HELP payment. You should keep this for your taxation records.

Confirmation of enrolment: During your overseas study please forward to the University your official confirmation of enrolment from the overseas institution which confirms the course/s you are studying.

Inability to continue with overseas study: A student must inform Student Administration and the International Office (for students in the Exchange Program) within one week of determining they are unable to continue with their overseas study.

If the OS-HELP loan has not been transferred to the student’s bank account then the offer of the OS-HELP loan is automatically withdrawn.

If the OS-HELP loan has been transferred to the student’s bank account then the student’s liability to repay that loan through the taxation system remains.

Confirmation of results: After completion of your overseas study please forward to the University your official confirmation of results. It is suggested you obtain an official transcript of your studies at the overseas institution for your records. Course/s studied elsewhere will be entered onto your University record as either a Non-Graded Pass (NGP) if you pass or Fail (F) if you do not pass. If you wish to show prospective employers the grade and marks you received at another institution you must use that institution’s academic transcript.

Provision of false or misleading information: The personal information obtained in any forms or documents relating to OS-HELP is collected for the purpose of determining your entitlement to OS-HELP assistance. The University will be required to disclose such information contained in these documents to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The University may also be required to disclose your personal information as otherwise authorised or required by law. If you provide false or misleading information in applications for OS-HELP this will be reported to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment for further action.

For further information on OS-HELP:

Visit the OS-HELP and overseas study information on the StudyAssist website.

  • Application process for students in the exchange program, please contact the International Office, by email to: studyabroad@nd.edu.au; or by telephone on: 08 9433 0531.
  • OS-HELP loan eligibility, please contact the Student Fees Office, by email to: student.fees@nd.edu.au; or by telephone on: 08 9433 0523.

Please read through the 2024 OS-HELP statement of terms and conditions | StudyAssist & for more information visit www.studyassist.gov.au.