VET Student Loans
Fee Schedules

Australian and NZ Students Tuition Fees Schedules

Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance)

Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance (Elite Performance)

Graduate Diploma of Classical Ballet

To calculate the total cost of tuition plus DEWR Loan fees when taking VETSL, add the annual fees plus the annual VETSL Loan fees to find to total cost. 

To calculate the total VETSL debt, subtract the gap/upfront fees from the total cost, to find the VETSL debt amount.  

Example:  

A new student commencing Level 5 (Diploma of Professional Dance) at ABS in 2026.  

Total tuition fees for Diploma commencing 2026 over 2 years is $32,960.  

If taking the maximum VETSL, add the 20% VETSL fee over 2 years ($1,929 x 2 = 3,858) to come up with a total cost of $36, 818. 

The gap fees paid each year are $6,385 (x 2 = $12, 770). Fees paid upfront don't contribute to the debt, so the gap fees paid should be subtracted from the total cost to figure out the final VETSL debt.  

At the end of the two-year course, if maximum VETSL is taken, the total VETSL debt will be $36, 818 - $12, 770 = $24,048 

POLICIES

Updated: 19 November 2025

 

VETSL Brief Overview

Vocational Education and Training Student Loans (VETSL) are provided by the Australian Government through the Department of Education and Workplace Relations (DEWR). Eligible students in eligible courses may apply for a VETSL to help cover the cost of their tuition fees. 

 

The Australian Ballet School is currently an approved training institution for VET Student Loans for the following courses: 

 

If you apply for, and are approved for a VET SL, DEWR will pay your loan directly to your approved course provider: The Australian Ballet School. You will be responsible for paying any remaining tuition or other fees.  

 

VETSL INFORMATION SESSION – Webinar 5 November 2025

The slides from this webinar are made available for students and their families considering VETSL in 2026.

 


Before you apply   

You must read the VET Student Loans Information Booklet before applying for a VET student loan. 
Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a VET Student Loan, a student must: 

  • be studying an approved course with an approved provider 
  • apply for the loan using the approved form (eCAF), and including all relevant information 
  • have not used all of their HELP loan limit 
  • meet the citizenship and residency requirements 
  • show they’re academically suited to the course 
  • be undertaking the course primarily at a campus in Australia. If the student will be studying overseas via distance education for their entire course, they will not be eligible for a VET Student Loan. 
  • supply their Tax File Number and Unique Student Identifier 
  • submit their VSL application by 11:59 pm AEST on or before the Census Day for the first unit of the course for which they are requesting a loan, and 2 or more business days after enrolling. 
Financial Considerations

If you take VETSL, you will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Your VET Student Loan debt must be paid back at the relevant repayment rate when your income is above the compulsory repayment threshold. The compulsory repayment threshold is adjusted each year. 

As part of your application, you must sign a document stating you understand the following key points: 

  • A VETSL is a loan from the Commonwealth, and 
  • the loan will remain a personal debt until it is repaid to the Commonwealth, and 
  • the loan may, until the debt is repaid, reduce your takehome (after tax) wage or salary and may reduce your borrowing capacity, and 
  • you and your family may wish to seek independent financial advice before applying for a loan. 
LLN Test

All students who express interest in VETSL will be sent an invitation to undertake the VETSL LLN test. The test is done using the same LLN robot software as the ASCF LLN test. Students will be informed of the result of their VETSL LLN Test as soon as practicable after the assessment. We are also obliged to report VETSL LLN results to DEWR when requested to do so, in the form and manner and by the time requested by the Secretary. 
Tax File Number (TFN)

In 2025 DEWR made substantial changes to systems that underpin the VETSL program to improve privacy and security for students.  VET Providers, including ABS, are no longer allowed to collect or store the Tax File Numbers (TFN) of students taking VETSL. Do not include your TFN in any emails, correspondence or enquiries with either ABS  or DEWR under any circumstances. Please read the relevant section of the most recent VETSL Student Manual before proceeding to apply for your TFN. 

VETSL Student Manual - Tax File Numbers 

To apply for a TFN, go to the ATO website: 

https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/tax-file-number 
Unique Student Identifier (USI)

Your  Unique Student Identifier (USI)  is your personal education number required for all nationally recognised study, including university and vocational education and training (VET). Made up of 10 letters and numbers, your USI is free and stays with you for life. All students enrolling in an accredited course (levels 5 - 8) at ABS need to provide their USI at enrolment. To create or find your USI go to:  https://www.usi.gov.au/ 

The USI you provide with your enrolment will be uploaded by ABS when we create your eCAF.  
VETSL Application Sequence

Once you have successfully auditioned for a place at ABS, accepted your offer of a place, and undertaken the pre-enrolment ACSF LLN test, you will be eligible to enrol. When you enrol in the relevant approved course at The Australian Ballet School, you should indicate you would like to apply for a VETSL.  

The ABS will then request proof of citizenship eligibility for VETSL (VETSL citizenship and visa eligibility) 

Students under 18 years of age require consent from a parent or guardian to apply for VETSL. ABS will provide this form for you to sign and return.   

In addition, for students who have not yet completed year 12 or a previous VET Course at Diploma or higher, you will need to prove your academic suitability by completing the VESTL Language Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) assessment. (The VETSL LLN test is in addition to the pre-enrolment LLN test new students completed in October 2025).  The Australian Ballet School will provide the results of your VETSL LLN to you.  

Once all eligibility requirements above have been met, ABS will enter your enrolment information into the electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) system. You will receive an email inviting you to complete the eCAF. Log in and check that the information is correct. If you notice any errors in your eCAF, please immediately contact ABS so we can correct them in the system. You cannot correct this information yourself. 

Once you are satisfied the information is correct in the eCAF system, you, the student must: 

  • complete the eCAF 
  • provide your Tax File Number through the eCAF  
  • submit your eCAF 

 

You must complete and submit your eCAF before the first census day for the course. 

You will receive an email from the eCAF system confirming that your application has been approved. 

 

This page will be updated with further information once enrolment forms are distributed.  
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