Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending the Student Loan Fee Exemption) 2021

# Higher Education Support Amendment (Extending the Student Loan Fee Exemption) Bill 2021 ## What it does This bill extends a temporary exemption that stops universities charging students a loan administration fee when they borrow money through FEE-HELP (the government loan scheme for course fees). Instead of the exemption ending on 30 June 2021, it now runs until 31 December 2021. ## Why it matters Without this extension, students would have started paying an extra fee on top of their existing student debt from July 2021. By pushing the deadline back six months, students get a longer break from these charges during a period when many are still dealing with pandemic-related financial stress. ## Key details - The fee exemption originally expired 30 June 2021 but is now extended to 31 December 2021 - The new fees would have kicked in from 1 July 2021, but that start date now moves to 1 January 2022 - This applies to all students using FEE-HELP loans for their course fees — the exemption is universal, not limited to specific groups

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament