UWA Student Loan Scheme

The University may provide assistance to students through its Student Loan Scheme.

Loan Eligibility

Income Limits

Loan Limits

Loan Types

Student Financial Assistance Committee

Security

Appeal

How to Apply

Documents and Forms

Loan Eligibility

You must be currently enrolled (full-time) in an approved course of study at the University of Western Australia. Other eligibility criteria include:

genuine financial hardship: loans will only be considered where genuine financial hardship is established and you can demonstrate that a loan is essential for you to continue your current course at this University and that you are unable to obtain a loan elsewhere.
academic record: you must have good standing with no administrative encumbrances and demonstrate that you have the capability to complete your current course successfully. You must have already successfully completed at least one full semester of study at UWA to be considered for a General Purpose Loan or Student Exchange Loan. Loans will only be considered where you are enrolled for a minimum of 18 credit points in a semester or 36 credit points over the course of a complete academic year. Loans will not be usually be considered in your final semester. Thus, academic record is a factor in the assessment of your loan application.
Other possible sources of income: if you have other possible sources of income such as assets, fixed term deposits, loans from family members, etc., you should investigate such avenues before applying.

LOANS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR PRE-EXISTING DEBTS, FINES, HOUSE OR PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS AND OTHER EXPENSES NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO ESSENTIAL COURSE-RELATED ENDEAVOURS.

LOANS WILL NOT BE ISSUED TO PAY UNIVERSITY FEES. For informaion of fees and support availalable, click here.

Before applying for a student loan we require that you attempt to gain funding from alternative agencies, such as a bank, a credit union or another source. As part of the UWA Student Loan application process you will be required to demonstrate your attempts to gain funding from another source.

When applying for a Student Exchange Loan you should first apply for your full entitlement to OS-HELP.

The UWA Guild may be able to assist with small loans.

Click here to view contact information for some other agencies that may be able to assist you with your finances.

ANZ Bank
ANZ (Graduate Loan)
Commonwealth Bank
NAB
UniCredit
Westpac

Income Limits

Students with a low income who can demonstrate financial hardship may be considered for a loan. Gross income must not exceed $20,000 pa, with no investments or substantial assets. If your income exceeds these limits, your application may be accepted at the discretion of the Student Financial Aid Officer or the International Student Adviser in compliance with the exemption provisions of the Credit Code.

Loan Limits

It is in your interest to borrow no more than you need. You will not be granted more than the equivalent of two full general purpose loans whilst studying at UWA and not more than the equivalent of one full general purpose loan in any one year, with the exception of loans provided to assist with a student exchange programme.

Loan Types

There are five loan options in place:

Student Financial Assistance Committee

The Student Financial Aid Officer and the International Student Adviser assess loan applications according to guidelines formulated by the Student Financial Assistance Committee. The Committee is made up of representatives from Academic Staff, the Guild, Registrar's Office, International Centre, the Residential Colleges and an Equity Adviser.

Security

You must provide a Guarantor as security for all loans except the Short-term International Student Loan and the Emergency Loan. Applications without Guarantors will only be considered under exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Student Financial Aid Officer or the International Student Adviser. Your guarantor must be over 18 years old and cannot be an enrolled student, staff member of UWA or affiliated colleges (other than relatives). A spouse or partner (or someone who is directly financially linked to the applicant) cannot guarantee a loan.

Guarantors are liable by law to pay the outstanding balance of the loan if you default in your repayments. Guarantors who have undertaken to guarantee several loans concurrently will not be accepted. Both you and your guarantor are required to complete formal agreements. Faxed copies of the 'Deed of Guarantee' are not acceptable. The original Deed of Guarantee document must be returned prior to funding of the loan.

For more information on guaranteeing a loan, please visit the Documents and Forms section of this website.

HOW TO APPLY

Australian Citizens / Permanent Residents
International Students

Students who are Australian Citizens/Permanent Residents

If you have questions regarding the following loans types:

General Purpose Loan
Emergency Australian Student Loan
Student Exchange Loan

Please contact the Student Financial Aid Officer in Student Services, 2nd floor Guild Village. Telephone 6488 3547. Fax 6488 1119. Web-site located at www.studentservices.uwa.edu.au E-mail: student.finance@uwa.edu.au

NB. New Zealand citizens can apply for a Student Loan, but repayments will be the same as loans with an international guarantor, in that the loan must be repaid by completion or cessation of current studies at UWA.

To apply for the above loan types:

Pick up the Student Loan application form and a Scheme Guidelines from UWA Student Services, 2nd floor, Guild Village or download the form;
After considering the Guidelines complete the loan application form; then
Submit the fully completed application form and essential documents* by mail or in person to:

Financial Aid Officer
Student Services M302
University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Crawley WA 6009

*Essential documents for ALL loan applications are:

Evidence of wages, Centrelink benefits, scholarships, grants and allowances paid to you
Current three months bank statements for ALL accounts which you hold (include credit card statements if applicable)
Evidence of any debts in your name (including credit cards)
If applying for an Exchange loan, you must also submit a copy of the letter from the Study Abroad Office and acceptance letter from host university.

International Students

If you have questions regarding the following loans types:

General Purpose Loan
Student Exchange Loan
Short-term International Student Loan

Please contact the International Student Adviser, Hackett Hall, phone +61 8 6488 2428, fax +61 8 6488 4071.
Web-site located at www.international.uwa.edu.au E-mail address: sally.tan@uwa.edu.au

To apply for the above loan types:

Pick up a Student Loan application form and a Scheme Guidelines from the International Student Adviser at the International Centre (Hackett Hall) or UWA Student Services or download the application, Loan Guidelines and Information for Guarantors
After considering the Guidelines complete the loan application form; then
Send or drop in the completed application form to:

Ms Sally Tan
International Student Adviser
International Student Support
International Centre
University of Western Australia
Hackett Hall (M352)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009

Download Application

The UWA Student Loan Application is an Adobe PDF document. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, select the icon below to download.

Download a UWA Student Loan application form here:

UWA Student Loan Application Form - (Adobe Acrobat Document 206 KB)

Appeal

If your loan application is declined, you have the right to appeal. You should apply in writing to the Chair of the Student Financial Assistance Committee. The appeal must state precisely the grounds on which it is made. It must be lodged with the Secretary of the Committee in Student Services, 2nd floor Guild Village, no later than seven (7) working days after receipt of the loan decision.

You will be notified of the decision of the appeals sub-committee within seven (7) working days after receipt of your appeal. The decision of the appeals sub-Committee is final.

Student Services