OS-HELP Loan Scheme

The OS-HELP loan programme provides financial assistance to eligible Commonwealth supported students, not in their first year or last semester of study, wishing to undertake part of their study overseas. Eligible students may borrow between $1000 and $5410 in 2009 and $5523 in 2010 (indexed annually) per study period for one or two overseas study periods. The total amount of OS-HELP assistance that will be granted will be dependent on the total OS-HELP funding available.

All OS-HELP loans approved in 2009 attract a 20% administration fee applied by The Commonwealth. There will be NO loan fee on any OS-HELP loans with a debt incurral date on or after 1 January 2010.

This page will tell you about:

Eligibility
Closing Dates
The Application Process
Assessment and Selection Criteria
Amount of OS-HELP Assistance and Payment
OS-HELP Loan Repayments
Appeals Process
Further Information

Application Closing Dates

There are two yearly 'Deadlines for Submission':

Applications for loans for overseas study in semester 2 of the current academic year close 31 May. Applications received up to and including this date will be processed between 01 May and 14 June of the same academic year. You will be notified of the outcome of your application after 31 May.

Applications for loans for overseas study in semester 1 of the following academic year close 31 October. Applications received up to and including this date will be processed between 01 October and 14 November of the current academic year. You will be notified of the outcome of your application after 31 October.

We recommend that applicants do not leave their application for OS-HELP until the last minute.

Please note that while you can submit an application at any time during the academic year, your appliction will not be processed for approval until the closing date.

Refer to the Financial Aid Office in Student Services for more information.

To be eligible for OS-HELP, you must:

be an enrolled full-time UWA undergraduate student approved to go on an exchange program* which will be credited towards your UWA program
be enrolled in full-time study with an approved overseas higher education institution* or the overseas campus of an Australian higher education provider, and be outside Australia while undertaking that study;
be an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent humanitarian visa
have already completed the equivalent of at least one year of full-time study (i.e. 48 units of credit) in their current program as either:
- a Commonwealth supported student;
- a HECS-liable student under the Higher Education Funding Act 1998; or
- an exempt student who was exempt on the basis of receiving a merit based equity
still have at least the equivalent of half a year of full-time study to complete in their UWA program on return from their overseas study;
not have received OS-HELP on more than one other occasion, including from another higher education provider;
be selected by UWA to receive an OS-HELP loan.

*Medical students approved to undertake overseas medical electives can apply for OS-Help, provided that the elective will count towards your final result at UWA and that you meet all other OS-Help eligibility criteria and you are not in your final year of study at UWA.

Students cannot receive an OS-HELP loan:

in their first year of study or;
in their last semester of study (must have at least 0.5 EFTSL of study remaining at UWA following overseas study).

The overseas study undertaken must count as credit towards the UWA course.

The Commonwealth apply a loan fee of 20% to the full amount of the loan.

Application Process

Applications for OS-HELP can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office, or you can download an OS-HELP Application form below.

Applications must be submitted with a copy of a letter from the Study Abroad Office and/or Faculty confirming your overseas period of study, and a copy of the letter of acceptance from the overseas institution where you will undertake the period of study.

Applications must be completed in full and signed prior to lodgement.
Applications that are not signed will not be processed.
Applications will be processed in order of receipt.

OS-HELP applicants must also complete an OS-HELP Debt Confirmation form and submit this with their application. This form is available from the Financial Aid Office in Student Services.

OS-HELP application form (PDF document - on-screen fill enabled)

We recommend that applicants do not leave their application for OS-HELP until the last minute as cheques can take upwards of 5-weeks to arrive.

Assessment and Selection Criteria

The assessment and selection criteria for the provision of OS-HELP will be based on merit and applications will be processed in order of receipt. Students will be assessed for their eligibility for OS-HELP assistance not more than six months in advance of the commencement of their overseas study.

OS-HELP is available for a six month period of study which commences on the first day that a student begins their study with an overseas higher education institution.

The OS-HELP loan is provided for the six month period regardless of the actual duration of the study.

Amount of OS-HELP Assistance and Payment

OS-HELP loans for amounts starting at $1000 to a limit of $5410 in 2009 and $5523 in 2010 (indexed annually) will be available for any six-month period. You should apply for the amount to need to borrow.

Payment of the OS-HELP assistance amount will be made by Financial Services once Student Administration has received and processed the student’s OS-HELP debt confirmation form. Students should collect OS-HELP cheques from Financial Services.

While we will endeavour to provide funding before the anticipated departure for the period of overseas study, we cannot guarantee this. In the even that a student departs overseas before a cheque is issued, cheques cannot be mailed to students. Authorisation must be given for someone to collect the cheque on the student’s behalf.

OS-HELP Loan Repayments

A student will be required to pay their OS-HELP debt even if they do not complete their studies or, due to unforeseen circumstances, cannot undertake or complete the approved overseas study.

An OS-HELP debt cannot be remitted under any circumstances.

A student’s OS-HELP debt is incurred as part of their accumulated HELP debt recorded by the ATO. Students repay their accumulated HELP debt through the taxation system once their income is above the minimum threshold for compulsory repayments.

Appeals Process

If an OS-HELP application is declined, students have the right to appeal in writing to the Executive Officer of the OS-HELP Selection Committee. The appeal must state precisely the grounds on which it is made. It must be lodged with the Student Financial Aid Officer, no later than seven (7) working days after receipt of the decision.

Student Services