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Applications for VET Student Loans are initiated by course providers. When you’re enrolling for your course, let your course provider know you want to apply for a VET Student Loan. They’ll check your eligibility and, if you are eligible, they will arrange for you to complete your application through the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) (part 18).
16.1 - Documents to support your application
If you apply for a VET Student Loan, you’ll need to give your course provider documents to support your VET Student Loan application.
For example, you might need to give them:
- your birth certificate and/or your parents’ birth certificates
- your current driver’s licence
- your passport/s
- a citizenship certificate (part 5)
- visa documentation (part 5)
- documents that prove your academic standard (part 6)
- your Unique Student Identifier (USI) (part 14).
You will also need to have your Tax File Number (TFN) (part 13) ready for when you complete your eCAF.
Check with your course provider to find out what documents you’ll need to provide so they can confirm if you’re eligible for a VET Student Loan.
If you already have a TFN, it’s important you check that the ATO has your current correct details (full name, date of birth, address and contact information) before you give your current details to your provider. If you already have a USI, check the details on the USI Register.
Your course provider will pre-fill some of these details into your eCAF. The eCAF system (part 17) will verify your details with the ATO and the USI Register.
16.2 - Census day
You must submit your eCAF on, or before, the first census day (part 15). If you submit your eCAF after a census day, you will not receive the loan for that unit of study, and you will need to pay the tuition fee upfront. You can’t get retrospective access to a VET Student Loan.
16.3 - Parental consent (under 18 years of age)
If you’re under 18 years of age, you need your parent or guardian to complete and sign a parental consent form. You need to give your course provider the completed parental consent form before they’ll give you login details for your eCAF application.
Your provider can give you the VET Student Loans Parental Consent Form or you can find it the on the VET Student Loans webpage.
You won’t need a parental consent form if Centrelink has assessed you at the independent rate of Youth Allowance. You’ll need to give your provider your Centrelink Income Statement, which you can request by logging into myGov and selecting your Centrelink online account.
For more information, visit Centrelink online account help - Request a document.