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Welcome to the VSL Provider Newsletter – February 2025
Welcome back to VSL for 2025.
In this edition we have a couple of reminders for providers. Remember to update your contacts and key personnel in HITS. A reminder, also, regarding the provider fee limit.
We continue to welcome new providers to the VSL program; there are also a number of current providers who have been reapproved to offer VSL. Thank you for continuing to support students to access vocational education and training with providers of high quality and integrity.
We have developed a new page for students. What’s new has news and updates for VSL students, including important changes to their student loan.
We would like to thank you for your patience while we make important changes to the VSL IT systems to better protect student Tax File Numbers. We sent a notification to all VSL providers on 14 February 2025 regarding this update. Please contact us on 1800 020 108 or at vetstudentloans@dewr.gov.au if you have any feedback, questions or insights. The department will continue to keep VSL providers informed of any future IT improvements.
VSL Six-monthly (July to Dec 2024) statistical reports
The VET Students Loans Branch has recently published the VSL Six-monthly report Jul-Dec 2024 and associated VSL Six-monthly report Jul-Dec 2024 Tabel 1 to Table 6 addendum.
Section 103A of the VET Student Loans Act 2016 requires the Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to publish certain VSL program statistical information within 42 days after the end of the six-month period beginning on 1 January and 1 July each year.
The final, full year VSL report for 2024 is anticipated to be published in mid-2025.
Key summary:
- The VSL loan program assisted 17,732 students (19,767 enrolments) with approximately $113.7 million in loans to cover tuition fees charged of about $118 million. This is consistent with the student numbers for the same period in 2023.
- Unit of study completion rate was 86.7%, about the same rate for the same period last year.
- During the reporting period, there were 175 (Tables 1–3) approved providers, comprising:
- 23 TAFEs
- 10 other public organisations (including Table A providers), and
- 142 private providers.
- The Diploma of Beauty Therapy is the most popular course in terms of VSL enrolments (1,844) followed by Diploma of Nursing (1,202).
- Diploma of Nursing enrolments have almost halved from 2,276 for the same period in 2023, due to availability and demand for that course under the Fee Free TAFE program.
- RMIT (2,648 students) has surpassed TAFE QLD (1,993) as our largest VSL provider in the period.
Update to the VSL Courses and Loan Caps Determination 2016
The 2025 update for the VSL (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination has been registered. Several new courses and replacement courses for non-current VSL approved courses were added to the VET Student Loans (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination 2016. These changes came into effect on 1 January 2025.
You can find further information at VSL 2025 Course List and Loan Caps. The fact sheet advises what you need to do to offer these courses using a VET Student Loan, and how to apply new loan cap bands.
Reminder regarding the provider fee limit
A provider fee limit is a condition of approval that may be imposed on you under section 34 of the VET Student Loans Act 2016. It caps the VET Student Loan amounts that can be paid to you. A provider fee limit is imposed on providers to protect the integrity and sustainability of the VSL program and interests of VSL students.
It is compulsory for you to comply with this condition as compliance action may be taken if you are found to be non-compliant.
Any past incident of breaching the condition for provider fee limit may be taken into consideration when assessing an application for a further approval period [VSL Rules subsection 18(2)(b)].
Please email the VSL Provider Operations and Engagement team at VSLProgramIntegrity@dewr.gov.au or call the VSL Applicants’ Enquiry Line on (02) 6240 0650 if you need more information on the provider fee limit.
New year, new staff – time to update contacts in HITS
A reminder to update HITS with current contact information. Changes to your Contact List are required when a person leaves your organisation or new staff commence.
Page 53 of the HITS User Guide provides the steps required to update your Contact List. Key Personnel List changes commence from page 100 of the User Guide.
Please email VSLProgramIntegrity@dewr.gov.au when you have completed the following in HITS:
- updated the Contact List and Key Personnel List
- uploaded documents notifying of changes to your organisation, including notifications to the relevant regulator.
You should also check email addresses in the Key Personnel List and Contact List routinely, including the spelling of names.
2025 VSL Tuition Protection Levy
The Tuition Protection Service (TPS) is an Australian Government student tuition protection scheme for international and eligible domestic students studying at private education providers. Non-exempt VSL providers are required to pay the annual VSL Tuition Protection Levy, which funds the student placement and loan re-credit activities of the TPS for VSL students following a VSL provider closure.
The TPS will be consulting leviable VSL providers on the draft settings of the 2025 VSL Levy throughout March and April 2025. Notices regarding consultation will be sent to contacts listed in the HELP IT System (HITS) from February 2025. Please ensure your organisation’s contact details are up to date.
Further information about the TPS and the VSL Levy is available at Tuition Protection Service - Department of Education, Australian Government.
Eligibility for Tertiary Access Payment will expand in 2025
The Government recently announced it will expand eligibility to Tertiary Access Payment (TAP). First year tertiary students who take one or more gap years after leaving school will now be able to claim the payment for their first year of study.
Previously, students could only claim the payment if they were starting tertiary study within 12 months of finishing Year 12 or equivalent.
Now, if they start their course by 22 years of age and meet all other eligibility criteria, they’ll be able to get the payment.
Work is underway on updating our application system so this new group of students can apply for TAP. We’ll advise when we are ready to take applications later in the year, and ask for your help in letting your students know they can apply.
The TAP supports regional students to pursue tertiary studies and contributes to lowering their cost of living. Changes to the TAP are in response to feedback from regional stakeholders and the Australian Universities Accord Panel.
For further information about TAP, visit the Services Australia website.
Subscribing to the VSL Provider Newsletter
The VSL Provider Newsletter is how we let you know about program updates and reminders about the program administrative requirements. Let your colleagues know they can subscribe to the newsletter at VET Student Loans – subscribe. You can access previous copies of the newsletter at VET Student Loans Provider Newsletter.