HECS Debt Relief 2025
Reduction in Student Loan Debt 1 June 2025
Starting June 1, 2025, a one-off 20% reduction will be applied to all existing student loan debts, including HECS-HELP, VET Student Loans, and Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans. This initiative is expected to benefit approximately three million Australians, effectively wiping out around $16 billion in student debt.
Examples of debt relief
An individual with an average debt of $27,600 will see a reduction of about $5,520 and someone with a $40,000 balance would receive an $8,000 reduction.
Increased Repayment Threshold
Effective July 1, 2025, the income threshold at which graduates begin repaying their student loans will rise from approximately $54,000 to $67,000 annually. This change means that individuals earning below the new threshold will not be required to make repayments, offering additional financial relief.
Opportunity for those with student loan debt to rechart financial plans and goals.
This is a great opportunity to improve your credit assessment, free up income for goals like investing, home ownership or paying off high-interest debt.
Lower student debt means:
- Investment Planning Opportunities. With increased cash flow you can start building long term wealth through investing.
- Home Ownership Strategy. Lower Student debt means higher borrowing capacity. With fewer liabilities first-home buyers and refinancers may now qualify for better interest rates and higher approval limits.
- Other Debt Reduction. With HECS reduced, you can redirect funds to high-interest debts like credit cards or personal loans for faster financial relief.
- Increased Superannuation Contributions. Increased cash flow could allow for voluntary super contributions as a tex effective way to boost your retirement and if you meet the requirements be part of the First home super saver scheme (FHSS) Th first home super saver scheme allows you to make personal voluntary contributions to your super fund to help save for your first home.