Need help with HECS-HELP debts?
Here are some tips on repaying your HELP debt…
If you are one of many people who finished university with a HELP (Higher Education Loan Program) debt, you might not be sure exactly what the steps are to repay help debt.
It’s important that you know how to repay HELP debt, so you can pay it off and move on with your life!
HECS debts (Higher Education Contribution Scheme) are now also known as a HELP debt.
Just want to know the current (or previous) repayment rates/thresholds? Click here.
2026 Update: 20% reduction of HECS-HELP student loan debt
The government has now passed legislation to reduce all Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) debt by 20%. They introduced the Universities Accord Bill into Parliament on 23 July 2025 and it passed legislation. The 20% reduction is calculated based on what a person’s HELP debt amount was as at 1 June 2025, before indexation was applied.
The government applied the 20% reduction in January 2026, so individuals do not have to do anything. The 20% discount has been applied by the ATO in two ways depending on your circumstances:
- If you still have an outstanding debt: The ATO applied the 20% discount to your existing balance to lower the amount you owe.
- If you paid off your HELP debt in your 2025 tax return: They transferred the credit to you as a bank deposit like they do with tax refunds.
This one-off 20% debt reduction measure will benefit 3 million Australians with a student loan debt. And will remove $16 billion in HELP and other student debt.
Anyone with one of the following student loans will benefit from these measures:
- Any of the HELP loans, including HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, STARTUP-HELP, SA-HELP, OS-HELP
- VET Student Loans
- Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans
- Student Start-up Loans
- Student Financial Supplement Scheme
2024 Update: HECS-HELP indexation rate reduction
Click to read more
In 2024, the Government also announced changes to how the HECS-HELP indexation rate is calculated. Previously, HELP debt interest was calculated at the same rate as the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Now, the lower of either the Consumer Price Index or the Wage Price Index (WPI) will be used. This change came into effect in 2024 when legislation was passed with changes backdated to June 2023.
The changes saw 2023’s indexation rate of 7.1% reduced to 3.2% while the 2024 rate decreased from 4.7% to 4.0%. In 2025, the indexation rate applied was 3.2% on 1 June 2025.
What do the changes look like on your HECS-HELP loan balance?
Click to read more
The ATO has automatically calculated what your HELP debt repayments in 2023 and 2024 would have been, at the lower repayment rate. Then, they should have given you a credit for the difference between what you paid at the higher rate versus what it would have been at the lower rate. They have now processed recredits for 2023 and 2024 indexation rate changes as well as any relevant refunds where study loans were in credit after the adjustment.
If you have a debt of $45,000, it should have dropped by about $2,000.
If you had an average HELP debt of $26,000, your debt should have been reduced by about $1,200.
What if I paid my HELP debt off in 2023 or 2024?
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Don’t worry, you should have received the credit anyway! If in 2023 or 2024 you fully paid off your HELP debt and, you have no other student loans, the credit would have been applied and converted to a tax credit. You should have received it as part of your tax refund (or a reduction in your tax payable).
For more information, the Department of Education released the following resources:
FAQs for HELP Indexation Credit.
Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) – Indexation Credit Estimator
HECS-HELP Debt Payments: Some Details and Options
If you have a HELP debt, you must start repaying it when your income is above the minimum threshold set by the ATO. For the 2025-26 financial year, the minimum threshold is $67,000.
The government has also changed the minimum repayment threshold from $54,435 in 2024–25.
Help Repayment Income
Your HELP repayment income is the total of the following amounts from your income tax return:
- Taxable Income,
- Any amount your taxable income was reduced by a rental loss,
- Reportable fringe benefits,
- Any exempt foreign employment income amounts, and
- Reportable super contributions.
The 2025-26 HELP repayment thresholds and rates:
| REPAYMENT INCOME | REPAYMENT RATE |
| Up to $67,000 | No repayment |
| $67,000 – $125,000 | 15c for each $1 over $67,000 |
| $125,001 – $179,285 | $8,700 plus 17c for each $1 over $125,000 |
| More than $179,286 | 10% of your total repayment income |
The 2024-25 HECS-HELP repayment thresholds and rates:
| REPAYMENT INCOME | REPAYMENT RATE |
| Up to $54,435 | No repayment |
| $54,435 – $62,850 | 1.0% |
| $62,851 – $66,620 | 2.0% |
| $66,621 – $70,618 | 2.5% |
| $70,619 – $74,855 | 3.0% |
| $74,856 – $79,346 | 3.5% |
| $79,347 – $84,107 | 4.0% |
| $84,108 – $89,154 | 4.5% |
| $89,155 – $94,503 | 5.0% |
| $94,504 – $100,174 | 5.5% |
| $100,175 – $106,185 | 6.0% |
| $106,186 – $112,556 | 6.5% |
| $112,557 – $119,309 | 7.0% |
| $119,310 – $126,467 | 7.5% |
| $126,468 – $134,056 | 8.0% |
| $134,057 – $142,100 | 8.5% |
| $142,101 – $150,626 | 9.0% |
| $150,627 – $159,663 | 9.5% |
| $159,664 and above | 10% |
The 2023-24 HELP repayment thresholds and rates:
| REPAYMENT INCOME | REPAYMENT RATE |
| Up to $51,550 | No repayment |
| $51,550 – $59,518 | 1.0% |
| $59,519 – $63,089 | 2.0% |
| $63,090 – $66,875 | 2.5% |
| $66,876 – $70,888 | 3.0% |
| $70,889 – $75,140 | 3.5% |
| $75,141 – $79,649 | 4.0% |
| $79,650 – $84,429 | 4.5% |
| $84,430 – $89,494 | 5.0% |
| $89,495 – $94,865 | 5.5% |
| $94,866 – $100,557 | 6.0% |
| $100,558 – $106,590 | 6.5% |
| $106,591 – $112,985 | 7.0% |
| $112,986 – $119,764 | 7.5% |
| $119,765 – $126,950 | 8.0% |
| $126,951 – $134,568 | 8.5% |
| $134,569 – $142,642 | 9.0% |
| $142,643 – $151,200 | 9.5% |
| $151,201 and above | 10% |
The 2022-23 HELP repayment thresholds and rates:
| INCOME | REPAYMENT RATE |
| Up to $48,361 | No repayment |
| $48,361 – $55,836 | 1.0% |
| $55,837 – $59,186 | 2.0% |
| $59,187 – $62,738 | 2.5% |
| $62,739 – $66,502 | 3.0% |
| $66,503 – $70,492 | 3.5% |
| $70,493 – $74,722 | 4.0% |
| $74,723 – $79,206 | 4.5% |
| $79,207 – $83,958 | 5.0% |
| $83,959 – $88,996 | 5.5% |
| $88,997 – $94,336 | 6.0% |
| $94,337 – $99,996 | 6.5% |
| $99,997 – $105,996 | 7.0% |
| $105,997 – $112,355 | 7.5% |
| $112,356 – $119,097 | 8.0% |
| $119,098 – $126,243 | 8.5% |
| $126,244 – $133,818 | 9.0% |
| $133,819 – $141,847 | 9.5% |
| $141,848 and above | 10% |
Repay HELP Debt with voluntary HELP repayments
Help your HELP debt to disappear.
A great way to repay HELP debt is through voluntary repayments, when you can afford to wipe out a bit more of your debt. You can make Voluntary HELP payments at any time of the year.
If you repay HELP debt more quickly, you’ll be ready to start saving (or shopping) a lot sooner. Don’t put it off or it will really hurt your wallet later.
Important Notes
- Making a voluntary repayment doesn’t make you exempt from compulsory repayments unless your HELP debt is nil. Also, if your income is below the minimum threshold, you don’t have to make repayments.
- Your debt increases annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on June 1st. This increase applies to the part of your debt that has remained unpaid for 11 months or more. By making a payment to reduce your HELP debt before June 1st, the ATO won’t be able to charge interest on the amount you have just paid off.
- If you make a voluntary payment, or pay off your HELP debt, it is generally better to do that before you lodge your next tax return. For advice that suits your situation, you should consult an tax agent (eg. if you are an Etax user, you can consult with our accounting team, anytime, with no appointments).
- If you ever find you have a large tax payable in your tax return due to your compulsory HELP repayment, you should check with your employer to ensure they are taxing you correctly each pay.
- Even if you move overseas to work temporarily or permanently, the ATO still expects you to make a HELP repayment if you meet the income thresholds. Please take a look at our articles on overseas HELP debt obligations if you fall into this category.
