HELP debt changes could save you thousands
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128, 25 August 2023, page no.15
Changes to the federal government's Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debtor
guidelines will enable many more members to reduce their debt, resulting in savings of tens of thousands of dollars.
Since 2019, eligible teachers who had completed four years of teaching in identified very remote locations could apply for a reduction of their accumulated HELP debt and/or to have their HELP debt indexation waived. The eligibility criteria were as follows:
- complete four years (1,460 days) of teaching full time, or the pro-rated part time equivalent in a six-year period
- be teaching at one or all of the following:
- a very remote school/s providing primary or secondary education
- a centre-based day care service
- a preschool
- the eligible teaching period commences on or after the start of 2019.
As the four-year period from the initial implementation in 2019 has passed, the QTU has received a steady stream of member enquiries regarding difficulties in obtaining clarification from the department of their application status, eligibility, and concerns with meeting the strict criteria regarding the 1,460 days of teaching.
On 18 July 2023, the QTU received notification that the original 2019 guidelines had been updated. The new guidelines reduce the 1,460 days requirement to 1,400 days, introduce special circumstances provisions, change the requirement to be normally resident in a very remote area, and clarify courses of study that are eligible for reduction. This is a significant win and should be celebrated.
A meeting with the federal HELP Policy Team was held on 21 June. When asked how the figure of 1,460 was arrived at, the team noted it was simply 365 days multiplied by four years. This number is not achievable for the vast majority of the Queensland teachers who commit four years to working in a very remote location, as their initial start day is usually the start of the pupil free days in January and any days taken as unpaid leave do not count. This disadvantages those teachers who are required to take unpaid leave to attend appointments, events, or other commitments because they cannot access paid special leave or it has been exhausted.
The reduction of accumulated HELP debt lends itself to supporting staffing in the state's and country’s very remote teaching locations, with an aim to support the stability, pedagogy, and practice of teachers and, in turn, the students attending these schools. However, when the bureaucratic nature of the legislation and guidelines makes meeting criteria difficult (some teachers miss eligibility by only four days), it can potentially impact upon teachers’ ability to commit their time, or create major disruption for staffing across regions when teachers only stay a week in a new school year or term to ensure they meet eligibility.
The QTU pursued the matter with the HELP Policy Team to seek clarification of whether the eligibility changes will be retrospective, to ensure that all teachers who should have been eligible from the beginning of 2023 will be able to access the scheme. The QTU was notified that all applicants from 2023 will be assessed against the updated guidelines, and members who submitted applications earlier this year have been contacted by the HELP Policy Team and will have their applications fast-tracked.
Additional information can be found at: