Sometimes there are delays in a student’s VET Student Loan data transferring to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The two common causes of this are the provider’s delayed reporting of accurate and complete VET Student Loan records, and faults in the VET loan data IT system.
On this page:
A statement of apology to students affected by issues with IT systems in 2022 is available at Transfer of historical loan records for VET students.
Checking your ATO loan account
You may wish to check your loan records to confirm the loan amount and loan details reported to your ATO account.
When you signed up for a VET Student Loan you should have been provided with a Fee Notice and Commonwealth Assistance Notice. The value of the loan, and the course and unit code, should align with the amount you agreed to be charged. You can compare these Notices against your ATO account.
If you do not have your Notices, you can contact your training provider to request them.
For more information about your ATO loan accounts and how to manage them, please refer to:
• Study and training support loans
• View your loan account online
Debt complaints
If you have concerns after reviewing the details of your loan, there are formal processes available to have your concerns addressed. Further information is available at Debt complaints.
Repaying your loan
Repayments on your loan amounts will only commence once you reach the income threshold ($54,435 for 2024-25). For further information about current and past compulsory repayment thresholds please see Study and training loan repayment thresholds and rates | Australian Taxation Office.
What to do if you are facing hardship
If you have reached the income threshold to begin repaying your loan and believe that making your repayments would cause you serious hardship, or there are other special reasons that make it fair and reasonable to defer making your compulsory repayment, you can apply for a deferral to the ATO. Further information is at Defer or amend your compulsory repayment or overseas levy on the Australian Taxation Office website.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you can also call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007 for free advice on how to manage your debts.
Contacting the department
If you have a question about the loan amount that you have been charged, contact your training provider.
If you have any further queries please contact the VET Student Loans Team via Student Enquiries.