Ongoing problems with HELP debt reductions
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 6, 5 September 2025, page no 4.
Some QTU members have run into difficulty securing the reduction of their Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debts.
The QTU is very aware that there are unacceptable delays with the scheme, which the Australian Government designed to incentivise service by early careers teachers in very remote and isolated communities. Members not only report receiving late notification of the outcome of their application, but also delays in the HELP reduction being applied to their debt.
At present we are advocating for several members, one of whom has been waiting for more than 500 days for the reduction to be applied. The Union has not sat silent. We have commenced advocacy with a number of people to highlight the detrimental impacts that the delays continue to have on recruiting and retaining high quality graduates to the most isolated communities in Queensland. To date, we have briefed Queensland Senator Penny Allman-Payne during a member delegation, and advised the Acting Federal Secretary of the Australian Education Union, with the matter being raised with the federal Department of Education.
In the interim, the QTU has been advising members to email their federal Member of Parliament, the federal Minister for Education, and the Senators for Queensland. This communication ensures that your federal representatives are aware of this ongoing issue and are able to follow it up.
The QTU will continue to advocate for members in this space to ensure that those who choose to undertake service in very remote and isolated communities are provided with the incentives promised.
If you believe that you may have been impacted, please email services@qtu.asn.au so that we can provide the necessary assistance.
Eligibility for debt reduction
To be eligible for assistance, teachers are required to undertake face-to-face teaching in an eligible location following the completion of their ITE qualification, for which they incurred a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP debt.
To apply for the reduction of accumulated HELP debt, a teacher must have taught in an eligible community for 1,400 days within a six-year period after 1 January 2019. When applying for your debt reduction, it is imperative that you supply the necessary supporting documentation. Examples of documentation include a statement of service, which members can obtain from their regional HR team.