From 2022, you’ll need to be passing at least half of your subjects in order to stay in a Commonwealth Supported Place and keep getting HECS HELP.
When does the 50 per cent pass rate start applying?
This will apply to you if you start studying in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) from 1 January 2022
How exactly will the pass rate be calculated?
Here is exactly what the government have said:
What is a low completion rate?
A low completion rate is a fail rate of more than 50 per cent of the units of study you have attempted, after you have attempted eight or more units of study in a bachelor level or higher course (or four or more units in a higher education course lower than a bachelor course.)
These changes will take effect in 2022.
What can you do if you have a low completion rate — aka don’t meet the 50% pass rate after completing eight subjects?
Again, a direct quote from the federal government’s FAQs about this change:
What happens if I have a low completion rate?
If you have a low completion rate in 2022 or thereafter, you will not be eligible for Commonwealth assistance (studying in a CSP or getting HELP loans for your study).
If you have a low completion rate, you can:
• continue your course by paying upfront. If you pay upfront and increase your completion rate to 50 per cent or higher, you will be eligible for Commonwealth assistance for your course again.
• transfer to a new course at the same or a different provider. If you change to a new course, your previous completion rate will not carry over and you will able to access Commonwealth assistance for your new course.
• apply to your provider for consideration for one or more of your failed units. For your provider to not count units you have failed when calculating your completion rate, you will need to prove that ‘special circumstances’ applied to you while you were studying those units.
These changes will take effect in 2022.
What to do if you fail because of things outside of your control
Passing 50% of your subjects is a pretty reasonable ask. But it can get complicated when unexpected things happen in your life and lead to you failing a semester.
This might be something like:
- A close family member or friend passing away
- A health condition you have (which might be a mental health condition) worsening after your uni’s Census Date
- Experiencing something traumatic or very disruptive, like being assaulted or suddenly become homeless
If something like this happens to you, talk to the student support services at your university ASAP. They should be able to help you get special consideration so that you don’t lose access to HECS-HELP in future semesters of your degree.
Keep in mind the exact definition of special circumstances from the federal government:
Special circumstances are circumstances that:
• are beyond your control
• do not make the full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit
• make it impracticable for you to complete the unit.
Where can you find out more?
If you want to learn more about the introduction of the 50% pass rate for HECS-HELP, it’s good to know that these changes are part of the federal government’s new Job Ready Graduates package. Here is the detailed FAQs page for students that explains some of the changes being introduced, including the 50% pass rate (aka “low completion rate”).
Study Assist now also has information about the new “low completion rate” policy here.
And if you want to learn more about student support services at your university, jump on your uni’s website. You should be able to find out the kind of support they offer, how to book in with them, and where to find them on campus.
Good luck! 💪
Tom
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