The VET Student Loans (VSL) program is governed by the VET Student Loans Act 2016 and the VET Student Loans Rules 2016.
This page is the central point for links to resources and information about how to apply to become an approved course provider under the VET Student Loans Act 2016.
On this page:
VSL Approvals
You may submit an application to become an approved VET Student Loans provider at any time by emailing a request for an application package to VSLProgramIntegrity@dewr.gov.au. Completed applications will be assessed in accordance with the legislative requirements and providers will be informed of the outcome in writing.
If you are a current VET Student Loans provider, you may also submit a request at any time for your conditions of approval to be varied or for fee limits to be increased. You may also request approval of a third party arrangement.
Eligible Providers
The VET Student Loans Act 2016 and the VET Student Loans Rules 2016 set out the requirements VSL approved course providers must meet. You should be familiar with these requirements before lodging an application, (see section 25 of the Act and Part 4 of the Rules.)
Before submitting an application you should check that your organisation:
- is a body corporate that is not a trustee
- was established under the law of the Commonwealth, a state or territory
- carries on business in Australia and has central management and control in Australia
- is an RTO listed on the National Register
- meets the provider suitability requirements
- is managed by a fit and proper person
VET Student Loans are available for higher level VET qualifications that are listed on the VET Student Loans (Courses and Loan Caps) Determination 2016. Eligible providers must have a history of delivering at least one of the VSL approved courses on this list.
Application process
Providers must apply through a formal application process using the form approved by the Secretary of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Providers must be able to demonstrate that they meet all provider suitability requirements. These include:
- general requirements
- financial performance
- management and governance
- experience and course offerings
- student outcomes
- workplace relevance
The requirements and application process are explained in the Applicant Guide.
Application Fee
An application fee of $5,110 is required for all applications and failure to pay the fee may impact on the acceptance and/or finalisation of the application. The application fee assists with the cost recovery associated with processing and assessing applications. Providers will be sent an invoice upon their application being accepted for assessment.
Note: The department does not provide pre-assessment assistance for applicants applying to the VSL program and the application fee is not refundable if your organisation is unsuccessful in the application process. Applicants who were unsuccessful in previous rounds will be required to pay the application fee to reapply.
More information
You can find out more information about the operational requirements for approved providers.
Enquiries
Any queries about VET Student Loans, the provider approval process and the expression of interest should be submitted using the VET Student Loans Providers Form.
Online Enquiry form
VET Student Loans student enquiry form privacy statement
Personal information
Your personal information is protected by law, including under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes an individual’s name and contact details.
Purpose of collecting your information
We will use the information you have provided to handle your enquiry.
We may need to collect further information from you in order to handle your enquiry. If you do not provide this information to the department, it may affect how we handle your enquiry. In some circumstances, it may mean we are not able to handle your enquiry.
Disclosure of your personal information
Your personal information may be disclosed to other parties where it is necessary to handle your enquiry, where you have agreed, or where it is otherwise permitted under law (including the Privacy Act).
Privacy policy
The department’s Privacy Policy, including information about how to make a complaint and access to and correction of your personal information, can be found on the Privacy page or by requesting a copy from the department at privacy@dewr.gov.au.
To contact the department about your personal information email privacy@dewr.gov.au.