How to Apply for an Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan While Training

Who can get an Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan?

An Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan, commonly called an AASL, is an Australian Government income-contingent loan for eligible Australian Apprentices. It is designed to help with everyday costs while you undertake your apprenticeship or traineeship.

The loan is not available simply because you are studying a vocational qualification. Your training must form part of a qualifying Australian Apprenticeship and meet the program's occupation and qualification requirements.

Current Australian Government guidance states that Australian Apprentices completing an apprenticeship in an eligible qualification on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List can apply. The current Priority List identifies the combinations of priority occupations and qualifications relevant to Australian Apprenticeship support.

Full-time, part-time and school-based Australian Apprentices and trainees can access the loan if they satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements.

What residence status do you need?

You must be an Australian resident for Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan purposes. Under the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans Act 2014, an Australian resident is a person who:

• resides in Australia; and
• is an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent visa.

The ADMS application specifically asks you to confirm that you currently reside in Australia.

A Special Category visa is a temporary visa under the Migration Act and does not by itself satisfy the permanent-visa limb of the AASL Australian-resident definition.

How do you check whether your apprenticeship is eligible?

Check the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List that applies to your apprenticeship. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations publishes the current and previous versions because the relevant list can depend on when an apprenticeship commenced or recommenced.

The Priority List in force for commencements from 1 April 2026 identifies eligible occupations together with their associated training qualification codes and qualification names. Do not check only the occupation name: the relevant occupation and qualification combination must satisfy the program rules.

Your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider is the first point of contact if you are uncertain whether your apprenticeship meets the requirements.

How much can you borrow?

For the 2026-27 financial year, the AASL lifetime limit is $27,048.

This is a maximum lifetime amount, not an automatic lump-sum payment. You choose how much of the available loan support you use, subject to the program rules and lifetime limit.

Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan amounts are indexed, so the lifetime limit can change from one financial year to another.

How are the loan payments made?

The loan is paid in monthly instalments in arrears, not as one upfront payment. The program is structured so that higher amounts are available during the earlier years of an apprenticeship, when apprentice earnings are commonly lower.

The legislation sets different yearly rates according to the year of the apprenticeship, and those rates are indexed. Payments are deposited into a bank account nominated and maintained by the apprentice, either alone or jointly with another person.

The loan is administered through schedules covering limited periods rather than automatically paying the entire lifetime limit. Current Australian Apprenticeships guidance describes payments as monthly instalments for up to six months at a time, with ADMS providing loan schedule, opt-in and opt-out functions as the apprenticeship continues.

What do you need before applying?

You should have your apprenticeship information, Tax File Number, bank details and any supporting evidence requested in ADMS ready.

ADMS checks your TFN with the Australian Taxation Office. The current application guide states that you cannot submit the application without entering a TFN. If the number cannot immediately be verified, check that it was entered correctly and that your personal details are current with the ATO. The guide states that you can submit with an unverified TFN.

You must also select the bank account for payments. Current ADMS support allows apprentices to manage bank account information in the system, while your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider can help if you have difficulties with the account details or application.

What if you are under 18?

The Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans Act requires the approved application process to provide for a parent or guardian, where applicable, to acknowledge that an applicant who is under 18 when applying is fully aware of the commitment being entered into.

Your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider can take you and your parent or guardian through the loan program before you apply.

How do you apply through ADMS?

The Australian Government provides the application through the Apprenticeships Data Management System (ADMS).

After signing in as an apprentice:

1. select Apply for Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan from the Actions menu;
2. read the information displayed and select Next;
3. confirm that the personal and apprenticeship information in ADMS is correct;
4. confirm that you currently reside in Australia;
5. enter your TFN if it is not already recorded;
6. select the bank account for payments;
7. review the Document evidence required section and upload the requested files;
8. continue to the declaration;
9. read and agree to the apprentice declaration; and
10. select Submit.

After submission, the application is sent for assessment. You can reopen the submitted application from the AASL action on the ADMS home page.

What do you need to access ADMS?

Australian Apprenticeships currently supports apprentice access using a Digital ID such as myID with at least Standard identity strength, a myGov passkey, or myGov sign-in details. If you use the myGov passkey or username and password route, the myGov account must be linked to Centrelink or Medicare.

If you need to establish a Digital ID, Helpydo has a separate guide to set up myID and verify your digital identity.

What happens after you apply?

Your submitted application is assessed against the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan rules. The Department does not publish a standard assessment-time commitment for an AASL application.

If approved and payable, loan instalments are deposited into your nominated bank account. Eligibility and payability are assessed for the relevant instalment periods, so receiving one instalment does not mean the entire lifetime loan limit will automatically be paid.

If your circumstances or apprenticeship change, tell your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider and keep your ADMS information current. The legislation permits loan payments to be varied or cancelled when circumstances change, and you can also opt out of further loan payments.

Is the loan interest free?

The Australian Government describes AASL as an interest-free loan. However, interest-free does not mean the debt always remains at its original nominal value.

Your outstanding AASL debt is subject to annual indexation under the legislation. Indexation is capped at the lower of the Consumer Price Index and Wage Price Index.

Each loan instalment you receive creates AASL debt that is ultimately administered through the Australian taxation system.

When do you have to repay the loan?

You do not begin compulsory repayments merely because you receive a monthly instalment. For 2026-27, the minimum repayment threshold is $69,528.

The current system uses a marginal repayment approach, meaning compulsory study and training loan repayments are calculated in relation to income above the minimum repayment threshold rather than applying the repayment percentage to the whole repayment income amount.

AASL is part of Australia's study and training support loan system. Compulsory repayments are dealt with through the tax system. If you have an AASL debt, your tax withholding and end-of-year tax assessment can therefore be affected once the applicable repayment rules are triggered.

This is separate from university HELP eligibility. If you are also considering higher-education financing, see the separate Helpydo guide to applying for HECS-HELP for a Commonwealth Supported Place.

What happens to the debt when you complete your apprenticeship?

If you successfully complete a qualifying apprenticeship, the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans Act provides a 20% completion discount on the qualifying loan instalments paid to you.

The relevant State or Territory training authority notifies the Australian Government of successful completion, and the completion discount is applied to the AASL debt under the statutory process.

The completion discount is distinct from the separate one-off 20% reduction legislated for eligible student and training support debt outstanding at 1 June 2025. The latter was a specific debt-reduction measure and should not be confused with the ongoing AASL completion discount.

Can you receive other apprentice support as well?

AASL is a loan, not the same thing as an apprentice incentive payment or an income-support payment. Other support programs have their own eligibility rules.

For example, an eligible apprentice may separately qualify for Youth Allowance. Helpydo explains the different Centrelink process in its guide to Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices.

If you are completing an eligible mandatory placement as part of certain higher-education or vocational courses, the Commonwealth Prac Payment is also a separate program with different eligibility rules. It is not an alternative application route for AASL.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not assume every apprenticeship qualifies. Check the applicable Priority List and the relevant occupation and qualification.
• Do not confuse AASL with HECS-HELP or another education loan. AASL has its own apprenticeship eligibility and application process.
• Do not expect the $27,048 lifetime maximum as a lump sum. Payments are made in monthly instalments.
• Do not submit an incorrect TFN. ADMS checks TFN information with the ATO.
• Do not ignore incorrect apprenticeship details imported into ADMS. Contact your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider if information needs to be corrected.
• Do not assume an interest-free loan can never increase. Outstanding AASL debt is subject to indexation.
• Do not assume receiving the loan means you never repay it. Compulsory repayments apply through the tax system when your repayment income exceeds the applicable threshold.
• Do not forget that further payments depend on continuing eligibility and the loan schedule. You can also opt out if you no longer want further instalments.

Who can help with your application?

Your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider can explain the loan, help with ADMS access and assist with questions about your apprenticeship and application. If you do not know which Provider manages your apprenticeship, ADMS lists it in the My apprenticeships section.

Australian Apprenticeships also provides the Skilling Hotline on 1800 020 108 if you need help identifying your Provider.