Government support for overseas study programs

The OS-HELP loan is an Australian government initiative which aims to assist students while studying overseas.

The amount borrowed through the OS-HELP loan will be added to a Commonwealth supported students' HECS debt and must be repaid to the government.

You will be assessed for OS-HELP as part of the application process.

Eligibility

You are eligible for the OS‑HELP Loan if you meet all of the below criteria:

  • You are eligible for a Macquarie University Student Exchange Mobility and have been accepted by your host university or you are eligible for a PACE International activity and have been accepted into an activity.
  • You are an Australian citizen, permanent humanitarian visa holder or a New Zealand Special Category Visa holder who meets the long-term residency requirements.
  • You have not received an OS‑HELP loan on more than one other occasion from Macquarie University or any other Australian education institution.
  • You are enrolled in a coursework program with Macquarie University on a Commonwealth Supported Place and have completed one equivalent full-time student load (1.0 EFTSL) in your program, which is one year of standard full-time study – that is generally eight standard units or 80 credit points (cp).
  • You will be undertaking full-time study overseas and your overseas study is credit-bearing and will count towards the course requirements for the Australian course of study in which you are enrolled.
  • You must be enrolled in a full-time study load while on semester exchange (ie, a minimum of 30cp or maximum of 40cp). Short-term program equivalencies are already predetermined.
  • You will have at least 0.125 EFTSL of your course of study left to complete once you have finished your overseas study (usually one unit of study – ie, 10cp).
  • You meet the tax file number (TFN) requirements:
    • You have provided your valid TFN to Macquarie University.
    • If you don’t have a TFN, you have provided Macquarie University with a 'Certificate of application for a TFN'. This certificate is available from the Australian Taxation Office after you have applied for a TFN.

Other conditions:

  • You have not completed your overseas study before applying for and receiving the loan.
  • You are not going on your exchange program in the last semester of your degree.
  • You cannot apply for two consecutive loans if the second overseas program begins within six months and one day of the first program commencement date.
  • OS-HELP is not available for students from third-party providers and/or cross-institutional study.
  • Students who are not accepted into the MacAbroad Student Exchange Program or PACE International program are not eligible for OS-HELP.

OS-HELP Loan

The loan will be added to your accumulated HECS debt. This means the same repayment and conditions of that debt will apply to your OS-HELP loan.

Application process

  1. Submit an application for a MacAbroad Exchange Program using the online application form.

    All students who apply for a Macquarie Abroad exchange program will be automatically assessed for an OS-HELP loan. If we find you eligible, your MacAbroad Exchange Program offer letter will reflect the opt-in check box for OS-HELP.

    You need to indicate that you wish to 'proceed' with the OS-HELP Loan by ticking the box.

  2. The MacAbroad Team receives your signed acceptance of offer, including your indication that you wish to proceed with your OS-HELP loan assessment, we will proceed to check your eligibility.

PACE International application

  1. Once you are offered a PACE International activity, you will have the option to tick a box in your acceptance form declaring that you would like to be assessed for an OS-HELP loan. Please note that once you tick this box, you also confirm that you accept and agree to the OS-HELP Fine Prints.

    Once the PACE International team receives your signed acceptance of offer, including your indication that you wish to be assessed for an OS-HELP loan, they will check your eligibility.

    If you meet all the OS-HELP eligibility criteria, you will receive an email inviting you to submit an Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) through your eStudent portal. Instructions will be provided on how to complete this form.

    In addition to the eCAF, you will also need to be enrolled in your relevant PACE unit in order for your loan to be processed.

  2. Upon receiving your completed eCAF and enrolment confirmation, PACE International will verify all provided information. Further instructions will be sent to your Macquarie student email account.

Further information

For further details regarding from the Australian Government regarding OS-HELP loans, please refer to the Australian Government Study Assist website.

You may also email us at mi.exchange@mq.edu.au.

PACE International students can email pace@mq.edu.au with any further questions.