Chapter 3 
-
 Assistance to students
           
          
          PART 3-2 
-
 HECS-HELP ASSISTANCE
           
          
          Division 90 
-
 Who is entitled to HECS-HELP assistance?
           
          
          
          SECTION 90-5
           
          Citizenship or residency requirements
           
          
          
          
          90-5(1)
           
          
           
          
          A student meets the citizenship or residency requirements under this section in relation to a unit of study if:
          
          
          (a)
           
          
           the student is an Australian citizen; or
          
          
          (b)
           
          
           
          the student:
          
            
            (i)
            is a *permanent humanitarian visa holder, an *eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder or a *Pacific engagement visa holder; and
          
          
            
            (ii)
            will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit.
          
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(1) substituted by No 100 of 2023, s 3 and Sch 1 item 2, applicable in relation to a unit of study with a census date that is on or after 29 March 2024, whether the student: (a) becomes a Pacific engagement visa holder; or (b) enrols in the course of study; before, on or after 29 March 2024. S 90-5(1) formerly read:
                
                  
                  90-5(1)
                  
                  
A student meets the citizenship or residency requirements under this section in relation to a unit of study if the student is:
                  
                  (a)
                  an Australian citizen; or
                  
                  (b)
                  a *permanent humanitarian visa holder, or an *eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder, who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit.
                  
              S 90-5(1) amended by No 55 of 2021, s 3 and Sch 1 item 1, by inserting 
"
, or an *eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder,
"
 in para (b), applicable in relation to determining entitlement to HECS-HELP assistance, or FEE-HELP assistance, for units of study with a census date on or after 1 January 2022.
             
           
          
          
          
          90-5(2)
           
          
           
          
          In determining, for the purpose of subparagraph 
(1)(b)(ii)
, whether the student will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit, disregard any period of residence outside Australia that:
          
          
          (a)
           
          
           cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of that unit; or
          
          
          (b)
           
          
           is required for the purpose of completing a requirement of that unit.
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(2) amended by No 100 of 2023, s 3 and Sch 1 item 3, by substituting 
"
subparagraph (1)(b)(ii)
"
 for 
"
paragraph (1)(b)
"
, applicable in relation to a unit of study with a census date that is on or after 29 March 2024, whether the student: (a) becomes a Pacific engagement visa holder; or (b) enrols in the course of study; before, on or after 29 March 2024.
             
           
          
          
          
          90-5(2A)
           
          
           
          
          A student also meets the citizenship or residency requirements under this section in relation to a unit of study if the student:
          
          
          (a)
           
          
           
          is a New Zealand citizen who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit; and
          
          
          (b)
           
          
           
          either:
          
            
            (i)
            holds a special category visa under the 
Migration Act 1958
; or
          
          
            
            (ii)
            is a *permanent visa holder who, immediately before becoming a permanent visa holder, held a special category visa under the 
Migration Act 1958
; and
          
          
          
          (c)
           
          
           
          both:
          
            
            (i)
            first began to be usually resident in Australia at least 10 years before the day referred to in subsection 
(2B)
 (the 
            test day
            
); and
          
          
            
            (ii)
            was a *dependent child when he or she first began to be usually resident in Australia; and
          
          
          
          (d)
           
          
           has been in Australia for a period of, or for periods totalling, 8 years during the 10 years immediately before the test day; and
          
          
          (e)
           
          
           has been in Australia for a period of, or for periods totalling, 18 months during the 2 years immediately before the test day.
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(2A) amended by No 36 of 2023, s 3 and Sch 4 item 1, by substituting para (b), applicable in relation to determining entitlement to HECS-HELP assistance for units of study with a census date that is on or after 29 June 2023. Para (b) formerly read:
                
                  
                  (b)
                  holds a special category visa under the 
Migration Act 1958
; and
              S 90-5(2A) amended by No 64 of 2022, s 3 and Sch 3 item 1, by inserting 
"
who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit
"
, in para (a), applicable in relation to determining entitlement to HECS-HELP assistance for units of study with a census date that is on or after 1 January 2023.
              S 90-5(2A) inserted by No 160 of 2015, s 3 and Sch 1 item 1, applicable in relation to a unit of study that has a census date on or after 1 January 2016.
             
           
          
          
          
          90-5(2AA)
           
          
           
          
          In determining, for the purpose of paragraph 
(2A)(a)
, whether the student will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit, disregard any period of residence outside Australia that:
          
          
          (a)
           
          
           cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of that unit; or
          
          
          (b)
           
          
           is required for the purpose of completing a requirement of that unit.
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(2AA) inserted by No 64 of 2022, s 3 and Sch 3 item 2, applicable in relation to determining entitlement to HECS-HELP assistance for units of study with a census date that is on or after 1 January 2023.
             
           
          
          
          
          90-5(2B)
           
          
           
          
          For the purposes of subsection 
(2A)
, the day is the earlier of:
          
          
          (a)
           
          
           if the student has previously made a successful *request for Commonwealth assistance under this Chapter for a unit that formed part of the same *course of study 
-
 the day the student first made such a request; or
          
          
          (b)
           
          
           otherwise 
-
 the day the student made the request for Commonwealth assistance in relation to the unit.
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(2B) inserted by No 160 of 2015, s 3 and Sch 1 item 1, applicable in relation to a unit of study that has a census date on or after 1 January 2016.
             
           
          
          
          
          90-5(3)
           
          
           
          
          Despite subsections 
(1)
, 
(2)
 and 
(2A)
, a student does not meet the citizenship or residency requirements in relation to a unit of study if the provider reasonably expects that the student will not undertake in Australia any units of study contributing to the *course of study of which the unit forms a part.
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5(3) amended by No 160 of 2015, s 3 and Sch 1 item 2, by substituting 
"
, (2) and (2A)
"
 for 
"
and (2)
"
, applicable in relation to a unit of study that has a census date on or after 1 January 2016.
              S 90-5(3) amended by No 127 of 2012, s 3 and Sch 2 items 2 and 3, by substituting 
"
student
"
 for 
"
*permanent humanitarian visa holder
"
 and 
"
the student
"
 for 
"
the visa holder
"
, applicable in relation to a unit of study that forms part of a course of study commenced by a person on or after 1 January 2013.
             
           
          
          
          
          
            History
            
            
              S 90-5 substituted by No 72 of 2007, s 3 and Sch 5 item 3, applicable in relation to a unit of study in which a student enrols after 28 May 2007. S 90-5 formerly read:
                  
                    SECTION 90-5 Citizenship or residency requirements
                     
                    
                    90-5(1)
                    
                    
The citizenship or residency requirements for *HECS-HELP assistance for a unit of study are that the student in question is:
                    
                    
                    (a)
                    an Australian citizen; or
 
                    
                    
                    (b)
                    a *permanent humanitarian visa holder who will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit.
 
                    
                    
                    90-5(2)
                    
                    
In determining, for the purpose of paragraph (1)(b), whether the student will be resident in Australia for the duration of the unit, disregard any period of residence outside Australia that:
                    
                    
                    (a)
                    cannot reasonably be regarded as indicating an intention to reside outside Australia for the duration of that unit; or
 
                    
                    
                    (b)
                    is required for the