‘Tuition protection’ refers to the protections and assistance available to support tertiary students in the event that their education provider defaults (ceases delivering their course or closes entirely).
Students supported
The Australian Government’s Tuition Protection Service (TPS) provides tuition protection assistance for international students, domestic students accessing a FEE HELP or HECS HELP loan or a VET Student Loan at a private education provider, and domestic higher education students paying upfront for their studies.
New arrangements
From 1 January 2021 the TPS has been extended to domestic higher education students who pay their course fees upfront.
This follows the extension of the TPS in 2020 to domestic students at private education providers who pay their student contribution amounts and/or tuition fees using VET Student Loans (VSL), HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loans.
More information
Further information is available on the TPS website.
Information about tuition protection for VSL students is also available on the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
Information about tuition protection for higher education students is also available on the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
Information about obligations for providers in relation to domestic higher education students is available in the Higher Education Administrative Information for Providers - March 2020 – Tuition Protection.