For the 2025-26 income year, the minimum repayment income threshold is **$67,000**. No compulsory HELP repayment is required if repayment income is at or below this amount. Above $67,000, the new marginal repayment system applies: compulsory repayments are calculated only on the portion of income that exceeds $67,000 (rather than on total income as under the previous flat-rate system).

The controlling authority for the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) is the **Australian Government Department of Education**. The program operates under the *Higher Education Support Act 2003* (HESA), which sets out provider obligations and the legislative framework for HELP. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) administers the collection of compulsory repayments through the tax system, but the program itself is owned and governed by the Department of Education.