VET Student Loans - Air Gold Coast

VET STUDENT LOANS INFORMATION

What is the VET Student Loans program?

The VET Student Loans program is an Australian Government loan program that helps eligible students enrolled in approved courses at approved providers pay their tuition fees.

If you are an eligible student, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (the department) may approve your VET Student Loan for an approved course. The department will pay your loan directly to your approved course provider. You will be responsible for any gap amount in the tuition fees, which are not covered by your loan. You will owe a debt to the Australian Government for the loan, which will be managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

If you are a domestic student considering applying for VET Student Loans to assist in the payment of your tuition fees, it is a legal requirement that you become familiar with the way the VET Student Loan program works before you apply. We therefore require prospective VET Student Loan candidates to read and understand all of the available VET Student Loan program information, including the hyperlinks contained on this page and on the Australian Government Department of Education and Training VET Student Loans page: https://www.dewr.gov.au/vet-student-loans.

How VET Student Loans Works

The Australian Government is committed to increasing productivity, addressing skills shortages and assisting with the cost of studying. One of the measures that achieves these goals is the availability of the VET Student Loan scheme. VET Student Loans assists eligible full-time students who wish to pursue an aviation career and are undertaking Air Gold Coast's Diploma of Aviation to pay for tuition costs.

Air Gold Coast is a quality Flight Training provider registered with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) as a Registered Training Organisation to deliver Vocational Education and Training (VET) services. We are proud to be an independent VET Student Loan provider approved by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to offer VET Student Loans to eligible students enrolled in our nationally accredited courses.

Where VET Student Loans are approved for a unit of study, the Australian Government pays the amount of the loan for that unit directly to Air Gold Coast. VET Student Loans provides loans for tuition fees only so you will need to pay any additional costs such as some materials, resources, accommodation and general expenses. Detailed gap estimates are provided in the Schedules of Courses and Fees below.

Students who have used VET Student Loans to undertake their training then repay the loan through the Australian taxation system once their income is above the minimum repayment threshold for compulsory repayment ($67,000 for the 2025-2026 income year). VET Student Loans is a loan from the Australian Government that must be repaid in full and is not subsidised. Voluntary Repayments may be made at any time, regardless of income.

For 2026, the HELP loan limit for students enrolled in AVI courses to borrow is $186,544, and the maximum for any individual AVI course cap is $96,467.

Essential Link: VSL information booklet October 2025

VET Student Loan Courses at Air Gold Coast

Air Gold Coast offers the following accredited training courses for the issue of a qualification in accordance with the AVI Aviation Training Package. VET Student Loans are available for eligible students for these courses only.

AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence-Aeroplane)
Integrated course (theory and flying) for candidates with no flying experience
AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating)
Integrated course (theory and flying) for candidates with a CPL
AVI50419 Diploma of Aviation (Flight Instructor)
Integrated course (theory and flying) for candidates with a CPL

For detailed information about our courses, please refer to the specific course information pages on our website.

For detailed information about the VET Student Loan fee schedule and course dates, please refer to the Schedules of Courses and Fees below.

2025 Schedules of Courses and Fees

Eligible students must have read the current VET Student Loans Information Booklet, understand their VET Student Loan obligations, complete and submit the required forms to Air Gold Coast before the due date of the unit of study as shown in the Schedule of VET Tuition Fees.

AVI50222 Diploma of Aviation (Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane)

AVI50519 Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Rating)

Please contact Air Gold Coast regarding course start dates and availability

AVI50419 Diploma of Aviation (Flight Instructor)

How Much Can I Borrow?

The VET Student Loan maximum amount available covers the entire tuition fee of the above courses. Please carefully read the Schedules of Courses and Fees below for your elected course to ensure that you are aware of any additional expenses not covered by the VET Student Loan scheme.

Eligible students are able to borrow the maximum amount available to them under VET Student Loans. The maximum amount available in 2026 is $186,544.00 in total and $96,467.00 for each AVI course (course cap). The VET Student Loans limit is indexed on 1 January every year. Fees not classified as a tuition fee by the Australian Government cannot be deferred. A loan fee of 20% applies to full-fee paying students undertaking VET Student Loans. The loan fee will be applied to the amount of VET Student Loan assistance provided, and this fee will be included in the student's VET Student Loan debt. VET student loan gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid.

Useful Link: Australian Tax Office (ATO) Loan Information

Eligibility

All current and prospective students are eligible to apply for the VET Student Loan if meet the following requirements:

Meet Citizenship and residency requirements.
Be an Australian Citizen, or
A qualifying New Zealand Citizen, or
A permanent Humanitarian Visa holder who resides in Australia.
A Pacific Engagement visa holder who is usually resident in Australia.
Be 18 years or older, or
If under 18, have their application co-signed by a responsible parent (unless the student is certified as independent, provided evidence).
The student is receiving a youth allowance on the basis that they are independent, as identified within the Social Security Act
Meet the academic suitability requirements listed for the course and show reasonable grounds that you can successfully and competently complete the course.
Meet the Language and numeracy requirements.
Australian year 12 senior secondary certificate, or
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB); or
Successful completion of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate IV level or higher qualification (delivered in English), or
If you cannot provide any of the above documents, you will be required to display competence level 3 in the Australian Skills Framework in both reading and numeracy.
Meet the Tax File Number (TFN) requirements (provide tax file number or certificate for a tax file number).
Provide your Unique Student Identifier (USI).
Meet the enrolment and loan application requirements.
Must complete the request for a VET Student electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form eCAF form.
Have available FEE HELP balance.
Have read and understood the VET Student Loans information booklet.
Meet Air Gold Coast Entry requirements.

VET Student Loans will not be approved for students who do not meet eligibility requirements.

VET Student Loans gives rise to a HELP debt that continues to be a debt due to the Commonwealth until it is repaid.

Students under the age of 18 are required to have a responsible parental be a signatory on the application and complete a Parental Consent Form (see link below).

Important Link if Under 18: The VET Student Loan Parental Consent Form

Application Process

Prospective Air Gold Coast students who are eligible to apply for a VET Student Loan to help pay for their training must advise Air Gold Coast of their intention to do so prior to or at the time of applying for a course for which VET Student Loans is available. Students wishing to apply for a VET Student Loan are required to undertake substantial research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the system, criteria and procedures prior to applying.

In accordance with the Air Gold Coast CPL Entry & Enrolment Policy and Procedure, eligible students who wish to apply and have a comprehensive understanding of the VET Student Loan system, criteria and procedures should complete the Air Gold Coast online Domestic Student Application, including the VET Student Loan declaration section. Air Gold Coast will contact the applicant to confirm that the application has been received and provide information on the next steps in the VET Student Loan and enrolment processes.

Policies and Procedures

Prospective students are required to read and understand all relevant Air Gold Coast Policies and Procedures. Please visit our Policies and Procedures page to view all the documents listed below:

Fair Treatment and Equal Benefits and Opportunity Policy
Personal Information Policy
Student Handbook (Domestic)
VSL Re-Crediting Procedure
VSL Withdraw Policy and Form
Integrated CPL Progression Policy
Refund Policy and Request for Refund Form
Academic and Non-Academic Grievance Policy, Procedure and Forms
VSL Entry and Enrolment Procedure