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2014 VET FEE-HELP Statistical Report – Summary
The VET-FEE HELP loan scheme
The Australian Government administers the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) to assist students with the cost of their tuition. As an extension of the higher education FEE-HELP arrangements, VET FEE-HELP is an income contingent loan scheme for students undertaking certain VET courses of study (diploma, advanced diploma, graduate diploma and graduate certificate courses) with an approved VET provider.
Australian citizens and permanent humanitarian visa holders enrolled in an eligible VET course at an approved VET provider may access a VET FEE-HELP loan to pay for all or part of their tuition fees, providing they meet the eligibility requirements.
HELP is governed by the Higher Education Support Act 2003.
Highlights
· The number of students eligible for VET FEE-HELP increased by 90 per cent between 2013 and 2014, from around 123,000 to approximately 234,100.
· The number of students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans increased by around 103 per cent between 2013 and 2014, from just over 100,000 students to nearly 202,800.
· The total value of VET FEE-HELP loans accessed in 2014 ($1,757 million) was more than double the amount accessed in 2013 ($699 million).
· Since VET FEE-HELP was first made available to students in 2009, a total of $3.1 billion in
VET FEE-HELP loans has been accessed by VET students.
· As at 31 December 2014, there were 254 providers approved to offer VET FEE-HELP.
Summary
Students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans
Trends
The number of students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans increased by more than 103 per cent between 2013 and 2014, from just over 100,000 students to nearly 202,800.
Figure 1: Number of students eligible for VET FEE-HELP, 2009–2014
Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET FEE-HELP Data Collection.
Student characteristics
In 2014, two-thirds (66 per cent) of students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans were female, and nearly half (46 per cent) were aged under 25 years.
Students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans in 2014 came from diverse backgrounds, including:
· more than 12,700 Indigenous students (6 per cent of VET FEE-HELP assisted students);
· more than 50,000 students from regional and remote areas (25 per cent);
· more than 14,300 students with a disability (7 per cent);
· more than 18,300 students from non-English speaking backgrounds (9 per cent); and
· more than 51,400 students from low socioeconomic areas (25 per cent).
Participation rates
The participation rate is the number of students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans as a percentage of the number of students who were eligible for a VET FEE-HELP loan. The overall participation rate for the scheme in 2014 was 87 per cent.
Table 1: Participation rates by student characteristics, 2014
Student characteristics / Eligible students / VET FEE-HELP assisted students / Participation rate (%)Age
Under 25 years / 104,450 / 92,764 / 89
25–44 years / 97,020 / 83,183 / 86
45 years and over / 32,659 / 26,829 / 82
Sex
Male / 81,005 / 68,598 / 85
Female / 153,100 / 134,159 / 88
No information / 24 / 19 / 79
Indigenous Australian students / 13,328 / 12,719 / 95
Students from non-English speaking backgrounds / 21,413 / 18,358 / 86
Students with a disability / 15,829 / 14,367 / 91
Students from regional/remote areas / 58,405 / 50,172 / 86
Students from low socioeconomic areas / 56,962 / 51,414 / 90
Students not in employment / 98,824 / 92,505 / 94
Total students / 234,129 / 202,776 / 87
Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET FEE-HELP Data Collection
VET FEE-HELP loans
Trends
The total value of VET FEE-HELP loans accessed in 2014 ($1,757.3 million) was 2.5 times the amount accessed in 2013 ($699.2 million). In 2014, 96 per cent of all tuition fees charged to eligible students were paid using a VET FEE-HELP loan.
Figure 2: Tuition fees charged to students eligible for VET FEE-HELP, 2009–2014 ($M)
Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET FEE-HELP Data Collection
Training undertaken
In 2014, nearly 202,800 students accessed VET FEE-HELP loans for approximately 518 VETFEE-HELP courses. Some students accessed VET FEE-HELP loans for more than one VETFEE-HELP course of study.
There were 217,270 VETFEE-HELP assisted course enrolments* in 2014. Of these, the most common courses were:
· Diploma of Business (17 per cent of enrolments);
· Diploma of Management (14 per cent of enrolments); and
· Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled-Division 2 nursing) (5 per cent of enrolments).
*Course enrolment – a student may be counted more thatn once if they are enrolled in more than one course
Field of education
‘Management and Commerce’ was the most common field of education undertaken by students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans in 2014, representing 44 per cent of course enrolments. This was followed by ‘Society and Culture’ (19 per cent of course enrolments) and ‘Health’ (11 per cent).
‘Information Technology’ had the largest increase in students accessing VET FEE-HELP loans, with the number of VETFEE-HELP assisted course enrolments increasing by 560 per cent between 2013 and 2014. Other fields with large increases included ‘Education’ and ‘Society and Culture’, which each increased by 286 per cent and 143 per cent, respectively.
Delivery modes
Students may undertake training by different delivery modes including, ‘external’ (for example online), ‘internal’ (for example, classroom-based), multi-modal (combination of internal and external), and employer based. Between 2010 and 2014, the proportion of students undertaking courses by an external mode increased by 57 per cent. In 2014, 47 per cent of VET FEE-HELP assisted enrolments had courses delived by an external mode. A similar proportion (45 per cent) were delivered internally (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Delivery modes of VET FEE-HELP assisted courses – proportion of enrolments, 2009–2014
Note: Less than one per cent of course enrolments were employer-based in any year.
Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET FEE-HELP Data Collection
Student achievement
Course completions
Almost 23,600 VET FEE-HELP assisted students completed their course during 2014 and were awarded with a diploma or higher level qualification. Almost one-third (33 per cent) of completions in 2014 were in the ‘Management and Commerce’ field of education.
Completion rates
Students may take several years to complete their course, particularly if they are studying on a part-time basis.
In assessing VET FEE-HELP completion rates, it is important to appreciate that VET FEE-HELP courses change from year to year and that providers offer courses of different durations.
VET providers
Registered training organisations (RTOs) must seek and obtain approval by the Australian Government to offer VET FEE-HELP loans to eligible students. The number of RTOs approved as providers rose from 197 at the end of 2013 to 254 by the end of 2014.
Some VET providers that were approved in late 2014 will commence offering VET FEE-HELP and reporting data for the first time in 2015. Of the 254 providers that were approved at the end of 2014, 224 providers reported eligible VET FEE-HELP students during 2014.
Table 3: VET FEE-HELP Providers reporting student data by jurisdiction and provider type, 2014
Provider type / NSW(a) / VIC / QLD / WA / SA(a) / TAS / ACT / NT / AustTAFE / 1 / 18 / 12 / 12 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 47
Other(c) / 58 / 45 / 46 / 12 / 8 / 0 / 8 / 0 / 177
Total reporting VET FEE-HELP Providers(b) / 59 / 63 / 58 / 24 / 9 / 1 / 9 / 1 / 224
Notes:
a) NSW and SA TAFEs operate under a single body corporate in their respective jurisdictions.
b) State/territory location of the VET provider’s head office.
c) Includes Universities and non-TAFE public sector RTOs
Source: Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET FEE-HELP Data Collection
Notes
· The 2014 VET FEE-HELP Statistical Report is based on verified data submitted by VET FEE-HELP providers to the Australian Government Department of Education (as at 11 June 2015).· VET FEE-HELP data is subject to revisions over time.
· The VET FEE-HELP student data in this report includes ‘remitted’ and ‘invalidated’ records and excludes VET FEE-HELP Certificate IV Trial courses.
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