HECS-HELP Benefit for early childhood education teachers
The 2008-09 Budget committed $12.4 million to reduce by about half the HELP debt of early childhood teachers who work in regional and remote areas, Indigenous communities and areas of high disadvantage based on postcode location.
The benefit will provide eligible early childhood education teachers with a reduction in their debt of up to $1600 per year (for 2008-09 indexed in later years) for up to a lifetime maximum of 260 weeks (5 years) of eligible employment.
Since 1 July 2009, eligible early childhood education teachers have been able to apply to the Australian Taxation Office for the HECS-HELP Benefit. Eligible teachers have two years to apply for the benefit for a particular income year.
The HECS-HELP Benefit for early childhood teachers fact sheet is available here:
HECS-HELP Benefit for education graduates
The Australian Government has provided funding from 2009-10 to reduce HELP debt repayments of education graduates. An education graduate is a person who has graduated (from second semester 2009 onwards) from a course of study that is required for initial entry to teaching, including early childhood education teaching graduates.
A fact sheet with information for early childhood education teachers about the HECS-HELP Benefit for education graduates is available here: