Course Payment Options
These course payment options are available to all students (subject to eligibility) undertaking training at any of the Niche Education Group divisions which include:
- Australasian Academy of Cosmetic Dermal Science (AACDS)
- Australian College of Beauty Therapy (ACBT)
- Australian College of Specialist Makeup (ACSM)
- Australasian College of Massage and Myotherapy (ACMM) and;
- Training delivered by third party service providers
Niche offers a range of flexible payment options which include fee for service, payment plan and VET Student Loans where eligible. Find one that suits your budget and preferred way of paying bills.
Option 1 – General Fees/Fees for Service
Students studying either online or on campus can pay per Unit of Study (as per the Schedule of VET Tuition Fees) prior to commencing their studies, either by direct transfer, credit or debit card, cash, bank cheque or money order. Fees will vary depending upon the chosen course and study load. You can choose to enrol as a full time, part time and even per unit student at some training divisions, depending on your work, family and financial commitments. This option has no additional costs and is good to minimise the total costs for study ultimately paid.
Option 2 – Payment Plan
If making payments more manageable is your priority, why not take advantage of payment plan option? Direct Debit gives you the flexibility to make weekly payments which are automatically deducted from your nominated bank account. Niche has an instalment payment arrangement drawn over the duration of each course. Students choosing this option are required to complete a Direct Debit or Credit Card Authorisation through our Direct Debit Agent (Debit-Success).
NB:
- Payment plans attract a 4% interest rate and will also incur a $12 establishment fee
- Students using the payment plan option will be issued their qualification once fees have been paid in full
Option 3 – VET Student Loans
VET Student Loans is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible students to pay their tuition fees for certain eligible courses listed on the Approved Course List and undertaken at approved course providers. It allows students to borrow funds up to the cap set for their chosen course of study and up to their FEE-HELP limit to help pay for part or all of their tuition fees. Students who access VET Student Loans assistance will have a loan from the Commonwealth who will, on the student’s behalf, pay their tuition fees to their approved VET provider up to the capped amount.
Tuition fees, also known as the student contribution amount, is the amount a student will pay for each course that they undertake.
As a student, your tuition fees will be split up over the duration of your course (this will depend on what course you are undertaking and whether you are studying on a full time, part time or per unit basis) and will include one census date per fee period.
A census date is the last date a student can apply for/access VET Student Loans and the last day that a student can withdraw from a unit of study without incurring a debt. Withdrawal after the census date means that a proportion of your tuition fees will be debited from your VET Student Loans balance.
The census date must be at least 20% of the way through the study period for that unit of study (which should include normal study breaks and assessment or exam periods). Our College divisions (ACBT, ACSM, AACDS and all Training Partners) will provide students with a Statement of Covered Fees prior to the commencement of their course and will also provide a VET Student Loans Fee Notice prior to each census date and commencement of the unit of study/fee period. For more information on census dates, please click here
Eligible full-fee paying students have the opportunity to apply for a government loan to help pay tuition fees. Are you eligible? Click here to find out.
For more comprehensive information about VET Student Loans and how it can apply to you, please go to the following link: www.education.gov.au/vet-student-loans-students
NB:
- Textbooks, uniforms, some kits and other additional course requirements cannot be funded by VET Student Loans
- VET Student Loans are a repayable loan and attracts a 20% loan fee increasing the total amount payable to the government
Option 4 – Mix It Up and Reduce Your Debt
You can choose to pay some of your fees upfront or via a payment plan and use VET Student Loan (where eligible) for the remainder (where eligible). It will help to reduce the value of any government loan and reduce the additional fees of 20% charged by the government. This allows you to contribute upfront where you can and save on your total cost of study.
Other Options – Fee Support and Tax Deductions
Student and/or Personal Loans
Most banks offer student/personal loans. For a comparison between student loans, please visit: http://www.finder.com.au/student-loans.
MacCredit provides flexible payment plans for career development and education with payment plans starting from $4,000. For more information, please contact MacCredit directly on 1300 884 355 or visit www.maccredit.com.au.
NAB (National Australia Bank) can also offer a personal loan to eligible candidates, please contact NAB directly for more information:
Students should carefully consider all impacts of undertaking debt and are encouraged to seek independent financial advice when considering funding and payment options. It is solely the choice of the student how they choose to pay their tuition fees and the purpose of the above is to demonstrate broadly student’s options. Any advice provided by Niche is general in nature and should not be taken as financial advice. Students must perform their own independent research of finding options available.
Government Support from Centrelink
Austudy & Youth Allowance:
Provides financial help to full-time students (each have different eligibility criteria).
Please visit: http://www.humanservices.gov.au to assess if you are eligible.
Tax Deductions
There are a number of tax deductions available to eligible students when studying a course directly related to employment. Please visit the Australian Taxation office website for further information: https://www.ato.gov.au/
Students with an Australian Business Number (ABN) may also benefit from tax deductions.
You should contact a Registered Tax Agent for advice regarding any eligibility for tax deductions.
Payment Option Comparison Table (based on course fees of $10,000.00)
Click here to download the Course Payment Options.
For further information about your payment options, please contact:
AACDS Administration | 08 9328 6760 | enquiries@aacds.edu.au |
Click here to download the information on Course Payment Options.