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VET Student Loans (VSL)

Study now. Pay later.

VET Student Loans (VSL)

Learn To Fly Australia Pty Ltd trading as Learn To Fly Melbourne is always committed to supporting the next generation of pilots and preparing them for their aviation careers. We are proud to be a VET Student Loans approved course provider.  (RTO 45684)

Vet Student Loans (VSL) is an Australian Commonwealth Government loan program that provides eligible full fee paying students with assistance in paying their tuition fees for approved courses of study. This allows students to obtain qualifications, and then gradually repay the loan over time whilst working in their chosen career.

Becoming a professional pilot is more accessible than you think! Learn To Fly is an approved VSL course provider for the AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane) and AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) courses. These programs provide the perfect preparation for a career in aviation.

  • 1. What is VET Student Loans (VSL)?

    The VET Student Loans program is the Commonwealth Government loan scheme for vocational education and training (VET), it replaced the VET FEE-HELP program on 1 January 2017.

    Under this program, eligible students studying in approved Diplomas or Advanced Diplomas may be able to defer their tuition fees through a student loan.

    You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office. Your loan is repaid through the Australian tax system when you reach the minimum income threshold for repayment. There is a loan fee of 20% for full fee-paying students.

  • 2. Who Can Apply for VSL?

    To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, you must:

    • Be an Australian Citizen or
    • A New Zealand Citizen with a Special Category Visa (SCV) or
    • A Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder who will be residing in Australia for the duration of the course
    • Be studying a VET Student Loans eligible course
    • Meet student entry procedure requirements
    • Meet Tax File Number requirements
    • Present Unique Student Identifier (USI) number
    • Have not exceeded your HELP loan limit
    • Have not exceeded the VET Student Loans course cap
    • Submit a request for a VET Student Loan via the Government’s eCAF System (including all required information) on or before the first census date and no less than two (2) business days after enrolling
    • Confirm engagement and progression to continue to access the loan throughout the course

    You can assess your eligibility using the eligibility tool at https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/support/financial-assistance/assistance-for-vet-students/vsl-eligibility-check

  • 3. Can I apply if I'm under 18?

    There are no age restrictions to apply for a VET Student Loan. For students who are under 18, you must complete one of the following requirements:

    Your parent or guardian must sign the Commonwealth’s parental consent form for your loan. You must provide us with this form before you can apply for a loan. OR
    If you are receiving Youth Allowance on the basis that you are independent, you must provide your Centrelink Income Statement noting your independent assessment.
    Your parent or guardian will not be responsible for making loan repayments and it will not affect their credit rating.

  • 4. Is there a cap on the amount you can borrow?

    The maximum amount you can borrow via the VSL scheme for the individual aviation (AVI) course in 2023 is currently $83,949. You can borrow up to $162,336 in total if you are completing more than one eligible AVI course.

    You can find current information on each individual course at the links below:

  • 5. How will my course fees be charged?

    Fees for courses eligible for VET Student Loans are charged by unit / clusters of study, with your payments spread across the duration of your course.

    Each unit of study has a census day, set at no less than 20% into the unit of study. You will be sent an Invoice Notice to your personal email address 14 days before each census day, indicating your fees and census days.

    Your debt is incurred on the day after the census day. After a census day has passed, ACMUSE will also send you a Commonwealth Assistance Notice (CAN) for that unit/s of study. The CAN will provide you with information about your debt, including the loan fee if applicable. If you believe your CAN is incorrect, you should contact the College immediately.

  • 6. Are there any additional fees?

    The course cost is known as the “tuition fee”. If the approved course tuition fee is greater than the maximum loan cap amount for that course, you will be required to pay the difference. This is known as a “gap fee”.

    There may also be additional “non-tuition” fees on top of the tuition fee, and these are not covered under the VSL scheme.

    Under the VSL scheme, students are required to pay a “loan fee”, which is 20% of the entire loan amount. 

    A loan calculator tool is available here – https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/support/financial-assistance/assistance-for-vet-students/vsl-calculator

    It is important to discuss all applicable fees with us when you apply, and we can provide you with a more accurate cost breakdown and estimate.

  • 7. Can you apply for a Credit Transfer?

    If you have completed previous aviation studies or flight training, you may be eligible for a Credit Transfer or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). You should discuss your previous training with us at the time of enrolment, and we will calculate the amount of credit that can be applied.

    The overall course fee will be adjusted based on the credit applied, and therefore the VET Student Loan amount will also be adjusted. This will be determined prior to accept your enrolment and commencing the VSL process.

    Example: You already hold a Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and want to apply for the AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence  – Aeroplane) course. Since PPL training makes up part of the AVI50222 syllabus, you will be eligible for that training to be credited. The overall course tuition fee will be reduced taking into account your PPL training credit, and so the loan you require via the VSL scheme will also be reduced.

  • 8. How is the loan repaid?

    The initial debt amount (including the loan fee, if applicable) plus indexation must be paid back once the loan recipient starts earning over a certain amount. The compulsory repayment threshold for the 2021-22 financial year is $48,361, however, this changes each year.

    The debt can be managed via MyGov and is paid back via the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). It is very important to understand your VSL obligations and to stay on top of your debt.

    More information is available at https://www.studyassist.gov.au/paying-back-your-loan/loan-repayment

  • 9. What is Census Date?

    LTF Published Census Dates

    The census date is the last date you can withdraw from a subject, withdraw from your course, or apply for a leave of absence without remaining liable to pay for the subject, and without it appearing on your academic transcript and statements.

    The census date is also the very last date you can be enrolled in a subject. However, it is recommended that you enrol before the teaching period begins, and finalise your subject enrolment before the last self-enrol date.

VET Student Loans FAQs

Here we will try to answer your most common questions about the VET Student Loans. If you cannot find your question from the list provided, please email us at [email protected]

Approved Courses For VSL

Learn To Fly Melbourne is approved to offer a selection of VET Student Loan-eligible courses that are on the Department of Education, Skills and Employment's list. Each VET Student Loan-eligible course has an associated loan cap amount. Eligible students are only entitled to loans up to the specified loan cap amount of each VET Student Loan-eligible course providing the student has not reached their maximum HELP loan limit.

Approved Courses For VSL

Select course

AVI50222 Diploma Of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane)

The AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane) program has been developed to provide pilots with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed professionally. On completion, students are eligible to obtain both a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and Diploma certificate.

This course is aimed at students with little or no prior flight training experience. The 150 hours Integrated CPL training syllabus will teach you key piloting skills including accurate and expeditious flight planning, safe and accurate aircraft operation, operational decision making, enhanced navigation techniques, and operation in complex airspace.

RTO Code: 45684 CRICOS Provider: 03913A

AVI50519 Diploma Of Aviation (Instrument Rating)

The AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating) course follows the CASA syllabus and includes instrument training on our full cockpit ALSIM AL42 flight simulator as well as practical flight training in both single and multi-engine aircraft. At the end of the training, you will be able to achieve a Multi-Engine Command Instrument Rating (MECIR).

Obtaining an Instrument Rating will allow you to act as Pilot In Command (PIC) for departure, flight, and arrival without visual reference or in marginal weather and light conditions under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). To be able to commence this course, you must already hold a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL).

RTO Code: 45684 CRICOS Provider: 03913A

  • Step 1: Assess your eligibility for VSL

    To be eligible for a VET Student Loan, you must:

    • Be an Australian Citizen or
    • A New Zealand Citizen with a Special Category Visa (SCV) or
    • A Permanent Humanitarian Visa holder who will be residing in Australia for the duration of the course
    • Be studying a VET Student Loans eligible course
    • Meet Tax File Number requirements
    • Present Unique Student Identifier (USI) number
    • Have not exceeded your HELP loan limit or VET Student Loans course cap
    • Submit a request for a VET Student Loan via the Government’s eCAF System (including all required information) on or before the first census date and no less than two (2) business days after enrolling
    • Confirm engagement and progression to continue to access the loan throughout the course

    You can assess your eligibility using the eligibility tool at https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/support/financial-assistance/assistance-for-vet-students/vsl-eligibility-check

  • Step 2: Find a course with an approved provider that is accredited for VSL

  • Step 3: Apply for an approved course

    If you meet VSL eligibility requirements and have found a suitable course, you can apply for the VSL. Let us know you intend to apply for a VET Student Loan, we will then submit your enrolment information to the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) through the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) system.

  • Step 4: Apply for VSL

    Once your enrolment information is submitted to DESE, the department will send you an email with your login details to the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF). You must submit the signed and completed eCAF form to us on or before the first census date for your course.

    We recommend you submit this form as far ahead of the census date as possible. If you do not submit your form on or before the census date, you will not be eligible for a VET Student Loan for all or part of the course and you will become personally liable to pay tuition fees directly to us at that time.

  • Step 5: VSL Application Outcome

    The department will notify you when your application for a VET Student Loan has been accepted or denied.

    If your application has been accepted, you are then fully enrolled with us and can commence the course on the start date shown in your Student Agreement.

    If the department does not accept your application and you are denied a loan:

    • Your enrolment with us still stands and you may finalise your enrolment by selecting another payment option; or
    • You may formally withdraw from the course from that point. VSL rules and census dates then do not apply and if the course has already commenced you will be liable for all tuition and non-tuition fees due up to the date of your withdrawal.

  • Step 6: Start your course

    When your VSL is approved, you can commence your study of the approved course. You will need to ensure you manage your loan obligations, and this requires providing evidence of your progression periodically via the eCAF system.

How to Apply & Enrol With VET Student Loans?

Here we will try to answer your most common questions about the VET Student Loans. If you cannot find your question from the list provided, please email us at [email protected]