Education and Other Legislation Amendment (Abolishing Indexation and Raising the Minimum Repayment Income for Education and Training Loans) 2022

# Education and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 ## What it does This bill stops the government automatically increasing student loan debts each year through indexation (the annual adjustment for inflation). It also raises the income threshold at which graduates have to start repaying their loans — meaning people earning less won't be required to pay back what they borrowed as quickly. ## Why it matters If you've got a student loan (HELP, ABSTUDY, VET loan, or trade support loan), your debt won't grow bigger just because inflation rises. Combined with the higher repayment threshold, this puts money back in the pockets of graduates early in their careers when they're earning less. ## Key details - **Stops indexation immediately** — Student loans won't automatically increase by inflation rates anymore. Currently, debts go up by inflation each year (around 3-4% recently), so this is a meaningful change for anyone with outstanding debt. - **Applies to all education loans** — Not just university HELP loans, but also VET student loans, trade support loans, ABSTUDY loans, and student financial supplements. - **Comes into effect the day after Royal Assent** — Once the Governor-General signs it off, the changes happen straight away. No waiting period.