Australian HECS Debt

OzzieExpat · 11 June 2017 at 12:50AM

Hi, I graduated from University in Australia in 1996. I just recently discovered that the Australian government wants to recoup debt from students who went overseas. I have no problem with this. I did contact the Australian government before I left in 1999, at the time there was no facility to pay it back out of your UK wages, you only had one choice, to pay it in one lump sum. That was not an option for me at the time with taking out a bank loan, so I chose to pay it back when I returned.
The Australian government stopped giving me updates on my HECS many, many years ago and I was told it has probably been written off.
My question is has the government ever written off any student debt?

I'm also confused as to how this is to be payed back...is it one lump sum and if you don't you can pay it back monthly but with high interest or is it monthly once you earn over the threshold like you have to do when in Australia?
(by the way, I don't think its fair that the threshold will be based on your gross salary before any UK taxes have been taken out).
Also, won't making payments every month incur costly bank charges as well?

Can anybody offer advice in this regard?....maybe someone in the same boat.

unforeseen · 11 June 2017 at 6:52AM

I doubt here are any Australian HECS experts here especially on the rules that are coming in on 1st July about repayments. Have you looked at http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/payingbackmyloan/overseasobligations/pages/overseas-obligations to do d out what you need to do? Do you have an Australian Mygov account linked to your ATO account (http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/news/pages/recovery-of-help-debts-from-overseas-australians- ) or actually looked at that site at all?

Malvenrman · 16 June 2017 at 6:02PM

Hi, was what you found out what situation was?

Emigrated sixteen years ago.

Skwas1 · 24 March 2018 at 10:05AM

Hi,

I’m in a similar situation.

Graduated from University in 1998, paid off some of my HECS for one year, then moved to the UK as better employment options there at the time.

I have had no correspondence from the Australian Tax Office since I moved away.

I would like to return to Australia on holiday but wonder if I am likely to be picked up when I enter the country through my UK passport (that was also linked to my expired Australian one).

I can’t afford a lump sum payment so need to know the likelihood of this happening before I enter the country again.

redpete · 24 March 2018 at 1:16PM

I refer to unforeseen's reply above from 9 months ago. Slim chance of anyone on a UK money saving site knowing how likely Australian enforcement is to catch up with you on your return.

I have had no correspondence from the Australian Tax Office since I moved away.

and I guess they have had none from you either.

A quick google took me an article that mentions a $3600 fine for those who are not reporting income as required.

Australian HECS Debt

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