Undergraduate Students (FEE-HELP)
Eligible students enrolled in a full-fee-paying place in the Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling who choose to use a FEE-HELP loan to defer their tuition fees may incur a 20% FEE-HELP loan fee on applicable undergraduate units. This loan fee is imposed by the Australian Government and is added to the student’s FEE-HELP debt; it is not a fee charged by Cairnmillar Institute.
For example, if a unit costs $3,000 and the 20% FEE-HELP loan fee applies, the student’s FEE-HELP debt for that unit would be $3,600. The $600 loan fee is in addition to the tuition fee and does not count towards the student’s available HELP loan limit.
Students who are eligible to pay their tuition fees upfront can avoid the FEE-HELP loan fee. This is not a discount on Cairnmillar’s tuition fees; the tuition fee charged by Cairnmillar remains the same. Rather, paying upfront means the student does not incur the additional 20% FEE-HELP loan fee that would otherwise be added to their HELP debt.
Students considering alternative payment arrangements, including private education loans, should carefully review the applicable interest rates, fees, repayment requirements and other terms before making a decision. Students should consider their individual financial circumstances and seek independent financial advice where appropriate.
See also:
- Tuition Fees and Unit Costs
- Change fee payment type (e.g. from upfront to FEE-HELP or FEE-HELP to Upfront)
- Payments, Bank Details & Refunds (for upfront and direct payments)
- Other Fees and FEE-HELP FAQs
Postgraduate Students (FEE-HELP)
Postgraduate students enrolled in eligible Honours (standalone), Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Masters or Doctorate courses who use a FEE-HELP loan do not incur the 20% FEE-HELP loan fee. The Australian Government confirms that the FEE-HELP loan fee does not apply to postgraduate study.
The 20% FEE-HELP loan fee applies to eligible undergraduate study in a full fee-paying place. It is applied to each applicable unit of study and is added to the student’s FEE-HELP debt. The loan fee does not apply to postgraduate study.
As the FEE-HELP loan fee does not apply to postgraduate study, eligible postgraduate students do not incur an additional 20% charge to their HELP debt when using FEE-HELP.
There is therefore no FEE-HELP loan-fee saving for postgraduate students who choose to pay their tuition fees upfront rather than through FEE-HELP. However, students should consider their individual financial circumstances when deciding how to pay their tuition fees.
Updated: 16/09/2026