Available from 14 July 2008:
The VET FEE-HELP IT System (VITS) is available for Registered Training Organisations seeking approval as a VET provider. Organisations must meet specific requirements under Schedule 1A of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to receive approval as a VET provider before their current and future students can access VET FEE-HELP assistance.
As a pre-requisite, you should be able to confirm that your organisation can meet the following requirements before you seek approval as a VET provider:
- Be a body corporate whose principal purpose is to provide education;
- Be a Registered Training Organisation as listed on the National Training Information Service (NTIS);
- Be financially viable and likely to remain financially viable;
- can offer VET accredited Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses with credit transfer arrangements and/or VET accredited Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma courses;
- Is part of an approved tuition assurance scheme, a guarantee or an exemption; and
- Have administrative procedures and capacity to meet reporting requirements.
The application is designed to be completed in stages. These include sections on Financial Viability, Tuition Assurance, Courses and Credit Transfer arrangements. You can log out and re-enter the system as many times as you need to add information.
Note: All information requested by VITS must be completed and required documentation attached before you can submit a VET provider application.
To start your application, click here at https://vetfeehelp.deewr.gov.au/ 
to access the VITS. You will be required to complete some preliminary information prior to the provision of a Logon Id and Password to access the system.
Supporting documentation
There are a number of documents applicants should be familiar with prior to and during the application process. These are available to access and/or download:
Please note that in the case of any inconsistency between the draft VET Provider Handbook and the provisions of HESA or the Guidelines, the provisions of HESA and the Guidelines will prevail.
A VITS user manual will be available under ‘Help’ when you gain access to the System.
How will I know I’ve completed the Application process?
VITS is designed to check all relevant fields have been completed and where documentary evidence needs to be attached or uploaded into your application.
You will be prompted if there are sections of the application that remain incomplete. Once you complete the noted sections, it will acknowledge completion prior to ‘submitting’ the application. All applications will be sent to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations for assessment.
What happens after the Application is ‘submitted’?
Once your VET provider application is submitted, the system will automatically advise that your submission has been received. This will be sent to the email address you nominated at the time of creating your Logon Id and Password.
Once your application is acknowledged as being complete (via email), you will be notified in writing whether or not your application is approved by the Minister within 90 days.
If further information in relation to the application is requested, a further 60 days from the end date of this request will apply.
VET provider approvals are legislative instruments subject to a disallowance period. Following approval by the Minister, each notice of approval is subject to a disallowance period of 15 sitting days in both Houses of Parliament.
The day after the disallowance period has passed, is the date a registered training organisation is approved as a VET provider. Further details will be available to applicants throughout the application process.
Note: Registered Training Organisations cannot advertise or advise students of any information relating to their status as an approved VET provider until the date the VET provider approval comes into effect.
Further Assistance
For technical, user enquiries about VITS, please log your enquiry here VETFEEHelpDesk@deewr.gov.au; or
For general enquiries about VET FEE-HELP, please email your enquiry here VETFEEHELP@deewr.gov.au; or
Contact the Call Centre on 13 38 73
For technical, user enquiries about VITS, please log your enquiry here: VETFEEHelpDesk@deewr.gov.au
For general enquiries about VET FEE-HELP, please email your enquiry here: VETFEEHELP@deewr.gov.au
Or contact the Helpline: 13 38 73
Or subscribe to the VET FEE-HELP Email Alert Mailing List: http://www.dest.gov.au/dss/
Note: The VET FEE-HELP email Alert subscription service is designed only to notify subscribers of significant developments or new information that has become available on the VET FEE-HELP website.