FEE-HELP is an Australian Government study assistance loan scheme that helps eligible full fee-paying students pay all or part of their course tuition fees at Australian universities and other higher education providers.

"Accountants play an integral role in every Australian community. Now, no matter your background or location, becoming a Chartered Accountant is more accessible than ever. It's a big win for the future of our profession," CA ANZ Chief Executive Ainslie van Onselen said.

"It's welcome news for small- and medium-sized practices who are also facing inflationary pressures on their costs base. FEE-HELP means they now can attract and retain talent as part of their employee proposition," Ms van Onselen said.

CA ANZ is the only professional accounting body in Australia approved by the Australian Government to offer FEE-HELP loans. It is the only body that has Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency accreditation.

"When I represented the profession last year at the Jobs and Skills Summit, it was clear that better pathways had to be created in professional services, and that the perception that the skills crisis was only impacting blue collar industries was dangerously simplistic.

"The next greatest challenge is making these professions attractive and not too financially onerous to undertake, especially for those who haven’t had experience in the workforce.

"This really could be the game-changer the profession was looking for in ensuring the attractiveness of the designation when deciding on career pathways. It will help open the door to a broader and more diverse pool of talent who may have felt a career in accounting was out of their reach.

"Eligible CA Program candidates will be able to access a FEE-HELP loan to pay all or part of their Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting (GradDipCA) subject tuition fees from Term 2 2023, which will now open for enrolments on Monday 20 February," Ms van Onselen said.