ATAR Notes: Forum

Archived Discussion => 2009 => VTAC Offers => Results Discussion => Victoria => Offers => Topic started by: costargh on January 21, 2009, 08:44:02 pm

Title: HECs help
Post by: costargh on January 21, 2009, 08:44:02 pm: My friend has been in Australia for 13 years.

Shes lived here basically her whole life but she doesnt have an Australian citizenship.
She is a permanent resident, her family all live here with her.

Shes been offered a CSP place at Uni. Can she accept this offer even though shes not a citizen?
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: Mikey123 on January 21, 2009, 08:55:32 pm: Yes.

Apply to both citizens and residents.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: Randomperson on January 21, 2009, 09:38:13 pm: Deport her god dammit.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: kurrymuncher on January 21, 2009, 09:46:41 pm: Quote from: Randomperson on January 21, 2009, 09:38:13 pm
Deport her god dammit.

Are you trying to be funny?
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: ReVeL on January 21, 2009, 09:50:16 pm: Yeah my mate is in the same situation.

Also, surely a Uni wouldn't make an offer that you couldn't accept would they?
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: chlloe on January 21, 2009, 10:13:10 pm: Just a quick question.
With CSP/HECS do we have to pay ANYTHING yet? Or is it all defered until we earn a certain income :_
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: brendan on January 21, 2009, 10:13:48 pm: deferred. you can choose to pay upfront if you wish.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: costargh on January 21, 2009, 10:16:30 pm: Any payments you make during University over $500 get a 20% discount. (The government last year offered 25% discount but now they want to be pricks so its 20%).

Im not sure WHEN you can pay though. You dont have to pay anything at all at the moment though
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: chlloe on January 21, 2009, 10:18:15 pm: Cool. Ta ;)
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: Kairubin on January 21, 2009, 10:39:20 pm: The tax office starts taxing you for hecs once you hit a certain limit.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: Mao on January 21, 2009, 10:44:49 pm: As a permanent resident, you can take a CSP place at uni, but cannot receive the HECS-HELP loan [all fees must be paid up-front, with the 20% discount].

As a citizen, the HECS-HELP option becomes available. Paying fees up-front before census date has a 20% discount [$5 becomes $6]. When you reach the threshold to repay the HECS debt, you can opt to make lump sum contributions on top of the compulsory contributions. When the lump sum contribution is more than $500, you receive a 10% discount [$10 becomes $11].
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: costargh on January 21, 2009, 10:48:35 pm: omg! She doesn't have the money to pay the amount up front!!!

Can you quickly become a citizen so that you you can take out the HECS HELP loan?

I've heard that becoming a citizen is quite a costly process.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: monicak on January 21, 2009, 11:46:14 pm: It takes quite a while to become a citizen. All the forms have to be completed and processed. She would then probably have to undertake the citizenship test, if she is over 18yo. Apparently you are not considered a citizen until you have attended your citizenship ceremony as well (which can be several months later).

I went through this process last year, in order to be able to take out hecs-help. The process is also quite costly (can't remember how much).

I would advise her to contact the department of immigration/citizenship asap.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: costargh on January 21, 2009, 11:48:59 pm: thanks monicak.
Title: Re: HECs help
Post by: costargh on January 26, 2009, 03:50:53 pm: I found out that her dad is an Australian citizen.

Would that mean that she could get her citizenship before March 31 (the census date I believe where you have to have the HECS help form in by)