← Back to bills❌This bill did not pass parliament24 June 2021
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🏛 House of Representatives3 readingsAmendments circulated
Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending the Student Loan Fee Exemption) 2021
✦ Plain-English Summary
# Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending the Student Loan Fee Exemption) Bill 2021
## What it does
This bill extends a temporary exemption that stops universities charging students a loan administration fee when they borrow money through FEE-HELP (the government loan scheme for course fees). Instead of the exemption ending on 30 June 2021, it now runs until 31 December 2021.
## Why it matters
Without this extension, students would have started paying an extra fee on top of their existing student debt from July 2021. By pushing the deadline back six months, students get a longer break from these charges during a period when many are still dealing with pandemic-related financial stress.
## Key details
- The fee exemption originally expired 30 June 2021 but is now extended to 31 December 2021
- The new fees would have kicked in from 1 July 2021, but that start date now moves to 1 January 2022
- This applies to all students using FEE-HELP loans for their course fees — the exemption is universal, not limited to specific groups
Official Description
Amends the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to: extend the FEE-HELP loan fee exemption currently in place for units with a census date between 1 April and 30 June 2021 by a further six months, to 31 December 2021; and apply a 20 per cent FEE-HELP loan fee for units with a census date on or after 1 January 2022.
Audit History
Last updated on APH
10 Apr 2026
Last checked by Crossbench
2 days ago
Full text indexed
2 days ago
🗳️No formal division recorded
This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.
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