Loading calculator…
For 2026–27, compulsory repayments on a HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, VET Student Loan or SFSS debt begin once your repayment income passes $69,528 — 15% of the income above $69,528, 17% of the income above $129,717, then 10% of your total repayment income once it passes $186,050. Your balance is indexed each 1 June at the lower of CPI and the Wage Price Index; it carries no interest.
Once your income exceeds the compulsory repayment threshold for the year. Your employer withholds an extra amount from your pay based on your income, and it's reconciled against your actual repayment when you lodge your tax return.
HELP debts don't attract interest in the usual sense, but they are indexed once a year (each 1 June) to help maintain their value against inflation, based on the lower of CPI or the Wage Price Index.
Yes, you can make voluntary repayments at any time to reduce your balance faster, on top of the compulsory repayments withheld from your pay.
Yes. Once your income is above the repayment threshold, your employer withholds an additional amount each pay cycle for your compulsory HELP/HECS repayment, which reduces your take-home pay.