HELP Debt Reduction Program for Rural Health Practitioners - Frequently Asked Questions

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Program and eligibility

This program provides two types of assistance for eligible medical practitioners and nurse practitioners residing and working in rural, remote and very remote areas of Australia:

  • Reduction of accumulated HELP debt
  • Waivers of indexation on outstanding HELP debt.

To be eligible for an indexation waiver, applicants must meet all the following criteria:

  • have completed an eligible medical or nurse practitioner qualification
  • have a HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP debt for that qualification
  • be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) (medical practitioners only)
  • be endorsed by Ahpra (nurse practitioners only)
  • work at least 24 hours per week delivering general practice services
  • work in an eligible location (MM 3-7)
  • reside in an eligible location (MM 3-7) during your service

Medical practitioners must also have:

  • at least 36 months of practice after first Ahpra registration

Note:  Services provided before 1 January 2022 are not eligible under this program.

To be eligible for a full (100%) or partial (50%) HELP debt reduction, applicants must meet all indexation waiver criteria above and have completed the required service period in an eligible location.

You can apply for full (100%) or partial (50%) HELP debt reduction after you have completed the required service period. This is when you become eligible.

For indexation waivers you can apply:

  • at the same time you apply for a full (100%) or partial (50%) HELP debt reduction (recommended) or
  • if you leave the rural, remote or very remote community or
  • once a year - on the anniversary of your employment start date in the rural, remote or very remote community,

No matter when you apply for an indexation waiver you will receive the same benefit.

You can check your required service period by reviewing the program milestone table.

You can estimate your waiver amount by determining eligible days in the indexation year ÷ 365 × indexation amount applied.

The indexation year is from 1 June to 30 May of the next year. 

Yes. You may continue to receive indexation waivers while continuing to work in an eligible area as long as you still have an outstanding HELP debt. This applies even if you have already received a debt reduction.

You will need to submit a new application. You can apply when you are ready to apply for your HELP debt reduction, if you leave the very remote location or annually.

Yes. As long as you received FEE-HELP loans for the eligible qualification and meet the eligibility criteria.

Yes, the HELP Debt Reduction Program and the Bonded Program are two separate programs, each with their own eligibility requirements.

The Bonded Program is administered by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, while the HELP Debt Reduction Program is administered primarily by the Department of Education. If you are a Bonded student, you may also be eligible for the HELP Debt Reduction Program.

If you disagree with the outcome of your application you can email HealthPractitionerHELP@education.gov.au.

Qualifications and study

The HELP debt reduction is calculated using the lower of:

  • the total HELP debt incurred for the eligible qualification
  • the HELP debt outstanding at the time eligible work commenced.

Eligible qualifications are limited to:

  • a medical degree completed at an Australian university, or
  • an NMBA-approved program leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner.

The program does not consider other qualifications, including pathway or entry programs used to gain admission into medicine or a nurse practitioner program.

No. International students are not eligible to receive HELP loans and therefore are not eligible to apply.

Employment and residency

Under the HELP Debtor Guidelines (Health Practitioners) 2023, general practice services involve:

  • managing undifferentiated acute and chronic health problems across the lifespan in an unreferred patient population,
  • providing continuing care for individuals with chronic conditions, and
  • undertaking preventive health activities such as screening, immunisation, and health education.

To be eligible for the program, you must be providing general practice services. This usually means you’re working in a primary health service. However, in some cases, hospital-based roles in rural, remote or very remote locations may also qualify if you are providing general practice services described above.

For medical practitioners, you must have completed at least 36 months post-qualification experience.

You meet this requirement if:

  • you hold current Ahpra registration, and
  • at least 36 months have passed since your registration date with Ahpra.

Work completed prior to the 36-month experience date is not eligible.

There is no minimum experience requirement for nurse practitioners, but you must:

  • have completed the required postgraduate qualification,
  • be endorsed as a nurse practitioner with Ahpra
     

You must reside in an MM 3-7 location while you are working in a MM 3-7 area. Where you are residing must be your usual place of residence. It cannot be on a temporary or irregular basis. The Macquarie Dictionary defines “reside” as “to dwell permanently or for a considerable time”.

If employment and residency periods do not align, some or all periods may not be eligible.

The service period required for a HELP debt reduction is based on your MM 3-7 work location. You must also reside in an MM 3–7 area during your service period to be eligible.

Your service will be assessed proportionally. Time in each location contributes towards meeting the required service period.

Paid leave (including paid maternity leave) counts toward eligible service. Individual unpaid leave periods over 10 days do not count. 

Services Australia Parental Leave Pay periods of maternity leave will not count towards your eligible period as we are only able to accept periods of leave paid for by your employer.

Yes, if you work at least 24 hours each week and all other eligibility criteria are met.

Yes, but the employment evidence requirements are different.

For further advice, please contact HealthPractitionerHELP@education.gov.au. 

Reductions, repayments, credits

No. Any HELP debt repaid before you commenced eligible service cannot be refunded.

The reduction is limited to the lower of the following:

  • the total HELP debt incurred for the eligible qualification
  • the HELP debt balance outstanding at the time eligible work commenced.

Yes. You must continue making compulsory repayments while you have an outstanding HELP debt.

If your application for a reduction is approved, the reduction amount is applied to your outstanding HELP debt in your ATO account. The reduction amount is the lower of the following:

  • the total HELP debt incurred for the eligible qualification
  • the HELP debt balance outstanding at the time eligible work commenced.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is responsible for the management of HELP debts. Once your application is approved, your HELP debt account at the ATO will be amended.

If this results in a credit (for example, from compulsory repayments you’ve made) and you have no other tax or Commonwealth debts, the credit may be paid to you.

The credit is first applied to your income tax account. Any remaining amount is paid by the ATO to your nominated bank account.

You can view your updated HELP debt balance and any credit in your ATO account through myGov.