A copy of the Report is available at: Independent Review of the HELP Debt Reduction Program – Final Report – Department of Education, Australian Government.
The HELP debt reduction program aims to attract and retain teachers, doctors and nurse practitioners to rural, regional and remote areas to assist in addressing issues of equity and access to education and healthcare across Australia by offering two types of assistance for eligible applicants—a waiver of indexation on accumulated HELP debt, and/or a reduction of accumulated HELP debt.
The Higher Education Support Act 2003 requires independent reviews of the HELP reduction program to be conducted in both 2025 and 2028.
The Review was led by Ms Rachel Hunter AO PSM. Its findings were informed by Program documentation, administrative data, participant surveys and stakeholder consultations.
The Final Report contains nine recommendations to improve uptake, simplify administration and strengthen the evidence base ahead of the Program’s next review in 2028.