On 13 May 2003, the then Commonwealth Minister for Education, Science and Training announced the then Government’s comprehensive Higher Education Reform package, Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future.
The reform package announced the establishment of a new web-based information management system called the Higher Education Information Management System (HEIMS) to assist in the management of the new reform arrangements for students, higher education providers (HEPs) and DEEWR.
HEIMS will be developed and implemented by DEEWR in consultation with HEPs and other relevant stakeholders. It will be a web-based system comprising of student, financial, programme management, and data modules and a mix of public and private information to be used mainly by HEPs, students and DEEWR staff.
The Going to Uni website was launched in November 2004. It was developed as part of the previous Government's Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future reforms and outlines changes to Commonwealth assistance loans, new funding arrangements for Commonwealth-supported students and full fee-paying students, student learning entitlements and course costs. Student information booklets regarding the suite of HELP loans can be found on the website. Each approved Higher Education provider also has a dedicated profile page containing links to relevant information on the provider’s website. The Going to Uni website is part of the Higher Education Information Management System (DEEWR). Any enquiries can be lodged using the online enquiry form at http://sfes.dest.gov.au/.
The Course Finder offers the first nationally comparable and searchable database of higher education courses in Australia. Students can search for courses using a range of criteria, including previous year’s cut-off (tertiary entrance) scores, approximate course costs and specific states and providers.
myUniAssist enables students to login to a secure portal using their CHESSN, surname and date of birth to access information on their Student Learning Entitlement (SLE) consumption and FEE-HELP loan balance.
Future releases of myUniAssist will display this information at unit of study level (rather than the current aggregate level information) as well as incorporating information on HECS-HELP, OS-HELP and Commonwealth Learning Scholarships (CLS).
The Commonwealth Higher Education Student Support Number (CHESSN) is a unique Identifier that providers must use in communications with the Australian Government concerning a person who:
- is enrolled, or seeking to enrol, in a unit of study with the provider; and
- has indicated that he or she is seeking Commonwealth assistance under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 for the unit, or is a Commonwealth supported student for the unit [HESA – s169-30].
Each student will be allocated one CHESSN, which will remain linked to the student for the remainder of their academic life and, after that, for the management of the Student Learning Entitlement (SLE), Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) and Commonwealth Learning Scholarships (CLS).
The CHESSN is limited in its use to monitoring Commonwealth assistance to eligible higher education students, including the provision of data to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regarding HELP debts.
Students also use their CHESSN to access information on their use of Commonwealth assistance through the Going to Uni website.
The administrative information for providers (AIP) sets out the rules and procedures that higher education providers must follow when administering:
- places for Commonwealth supported students;
- the Student Learning Entitlement; and
- the Higher Education Loan Programme.